Unspoken
by kijani
Summary: AU. The gang's in high school. Kagome is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. What happens when Inuyasha, her best friend, finally figures out what Kagome has not been able to tell him? Will he be able to help her before it's too late, or will h
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hmm...Gasp! I'm writing a high school fic! I have never done this type of fic before. I don't do many AU fictions, but I get really bored...and I write a lot when I'm bored...This isn't totally AU. There are still demons, hanyous, and all that good stuff! So I hope you like this one! Please review and let me know what you think!

**Summary: **Kagome is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. What happens when Inuyasha, her best friend, finally figures out what Kagome has not been able to tell him? Will he be able to help her before it's too late, or will he only create bigger problems for her?

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter One: Watch Your Step!_

Kagome yawned and reached her hand out as her alarm clock screamed for her to wake up. It was only 5:30 in the morning...two and a half hours before Kagome actually had to be at school. It only took her thirty minutes to get ready, but she hoped that maybe, if she got there early enough, she could avoid _him_, at least for a little while.

She glanced at the photo on her bedside table. It was a picture of her and her four best friends. Sango sat up against a tree with her cat Kirara on her shoulder. Miroku had his arm around her. Inuyasha was standing behind them, leaning against the tree, and Kagome stood next to them, piggy-backing the youngest of them all, Inuyasha's half brother Shippo. They all looked happy. Kagome remembered when the picture had been taken. That day, she _was_ happy. But then again, he wasn't there, either...

Kagome sighed. _As long as I get there early..._ She told herself. _I can have some peace and quiet for a little while._

Kagome grabbed her overstuffed yellow bag and tried to open the downstairs door without attracting attention to herself, but failed. The doorknob squeaked, and Kagome stopped cold.

"Kagome...what on earth are you doing leaving the house so early? I didn't think school started for another two hours...?" her mother questioned her.

Kagome sighed, spitting out the first excuse that popped into her head. "I promised Ms. Kaede that I would help her set up the classroom this morning. We're having some sort of special lesson today..."

"Oh, all right, sweetie. But don't you want some breakfast?"

"I'll grab a muffin." Another lie. All she wanted to do was get to school as fast as she could. Before he got there.

>>>>>>

When Kagome arrived at the school, it was indeed empty. Two or three teachers had arrived to start preparing for their lessons, but other than that, she was alone. She pulled open the double doors and stepped quietly inside. But yet again, not quietly enough.

"What are ye doing here so early, dear? Ye don't possibly like school that much?" It was Ms. Kaede.

Kagome shook her head. "I was just...I thought I'd come in a little early today and help out. Do you need any help?"

Her teacher's eyebrow rose in suspicion, but she only shrugged. "No, I don't need any help. If ye want though, ye can stay in my classroom until the bell rings?" she suggested.

Kagome smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Ms. Kaede." she whispered.

Kagome closed the door to Ms. Kaede's room with happy relief. Not only had she gotten away with coming to school so early, but she had actually avoided an early morning run-in with Kouga.

She laid her head down on the desk. There was a time when Kouga was normal. Their first year of high school, he was kind, courteous, sweet...everything that everyone thought he was today. But then he changed. He became jealous of every little thing Kagome did. Possessive...and the worst part...violent. Kagome shuddered when she began to think of the many times when she'd told her mother she'd fallen down the stairs, or hurt herself in gym class...or one of many other lame excuses she had used to cover up what had actually happened. She was glad her friends and family seemed to be believing her lies, too. She feared what would happen to her if they ever found out the truth. Sighing, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Unfortunately, she couldn't even escape Kouga in her dreams...

>>>>>>

Inuyasha stared at his friend with curiosity in his eyes. She was asleep at the desk...his desk, in Ms. Kaede's room. How she got there, he didn't know, but the bell was minutes away from ringing. Her scent told him that she was in distress somehow. "Kagome..." he whispered as he shook her awake. "Kagome, you need to wake up..."

Kagome jolted into consciousness. "I swear I won't...!" She yelped, but stopped when she realized that it was only Inuyasha. _It was just a dream_. "Oh, morning Inuyasha!" she smiled lightly. "What are you doing here?"

"That's my desk...and the bell is about to ring. You might want to head off to your own class, Kags. You know how the teachers can be..." he warned her. "Besides, if you wanted to see me _that_ bad, I'll see you at lunch _and_ in art class, all right?"

Kagome stood, and Inuyasha moved to give her a hug. She pulled away. "Right, Inuyasha. See you in art class..." she whispered hurriedly and left the room, leaving a dazed Inuyasha in her wake.

Kagome frowned when she remembered what happened the last time Kouga had seen Inuyasha hug her. He had seemed normal at school. He _always _seemed normal at school. But after school, when she was leaving the building from her extra-curricular activities, she got to the top of the stairs when she heard a voice that made her blood run cold.

"_Watch your step_," Kouga whispered dangerously as he approached her. "Tell dog-shit that he needs to keep his hands away from my woman," he growled, shoving her just hard enough to send her down the stairs. "Or else."

>>>>>>

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku as he jogged into the room just after an angry Sango. The red hand print on his cheek told the whole story.

Inuyasha shook his head. "It's nothing."

Miroku knew his best friend better than that, though. He wasn't about to let this one slide. "I don't think so, buddy. How about you tell me what's wrong? I know you a hell of a lot better than you think I do, if you think you can get away with lying to me."

Inuyasha frowned. "It's Kagome." he revealed. "I found her sleeping in here this morning. Ms. Kaede said she'd been here since two hours before school started for some reason...and she was real short with me. She left the room in a hurry, and wouldn't even give me a hug before she left..."

Sango sighed. "Inuyasha, there are hundreds of reasons to explain why she was here so early. And maybe she was just short with you because the bell was about to ring and her first period class is on the other end of the hall?"

Inuyasha considered this. "I don't know. I don't think that's it..." His voice trailed off.

"Why?" asked Miroku curiously. "What makes you think that?"

Inuyasha blinked. "It was weird. Kagome seemed kind of distressed while she was sleeping, so I tried to wake her up. But when she woke up...she said something strange to me, and I could have sworn I could smell..._fear_...on her..." he told them. "I just don't understand."

"Sometimes a person's dreams are worse than reality, Inuyasha. Maybe Kagome was just having a bad dream?" Miroku suggested.

Inuyasha nodded. "Maybe..."

>>>>>>

Kagome jumped.

"I thought I told you to watch your behavior around dog-shit?" Kouga whispered into her ear.

Kagome shivered. "Kouga, you scared me. Don't do that. And everything is fine. Inuyasha is one of my best friends, nothing more..." she assured him.

"You aren't allowed to be his friend, Kagome. You are _mine_. I don't want dog-shit getting any ideas. Got that?"

"But, Kouga...!" Kagome whispered hoarsely.

"I won't say it twice, Kagome..." he added in a threatening tone.

Soon, the bell rang, and Kagome rushed off to lunch. She saw the table where her friends had all gathered. They waved to her, smiling. A shiver went down Kagome's back as she watched them, and she carefully walked in the opposite direction.

Inuyasha frowned. "Do you see what I mean? Now she is whole-heartedly avoiding us! I just don't get it!" he whined.

"You're right. Kagome is acting very odd." Miroku agreed.

Sango stood. "I'm going to go follow her and see if I can find out why..." she told the rest of them, and she ran after Kagome.

>>>>>>

Kagome was eating her lunch on her own under a cherry blossom tree in the school's courtyard. When Sango approached her, she didn't even notice at first.

Sango cleared her throat. "Hey, why are you eating out here by yourself?" she asked her best friend. "Why not just come inside and eat with the rest of us? You know, I think you hurt a certain hanyou's feelings this morning. He's been pouting about something being wrong with you all day. What do you say we prove him wrong?" she smiled, extending her hand to Kagome.

Kagome stared at it, unsure. "Sango, I just really don't know if I should..."

"Is something wrong? Are you mad at us or something?" Sango questioned her friend.

Kagome sighed. "No, it's not that at all...I just don't think that it's a very good idea for me to..." she started to explain, but Sango soon cut her off.

"Why not? Come on!" Sango urged, grabbing her hand and leading her back inside.

>>>>>>

Kagome stood in front of the table without a word. Finally, when she thought she had a good enough excuse, she spoke. "Well guys, I have to go kind of early today because I have to get ready for the..."

"Kagome...your eyes get really shifty when you lie to us," Inuyasha pointed out. "Why don't you just sit down and eat and tell us what's been going on? Obviously, we've missed something pretty big..."

Inuyasha stood and pulled out a chair for Kagome. She reluctantly smiled, and was about to sit down when Kouga's arm intertwined itself with her own. His warning to her flashed through her mind, and she glanced at him with worry. _What was he going to do now?_

"Hey, Kagome!" he smiled for her friends.

Kagome returned a weak grin. "Hi, Kouga."

He kissed her forcefully on the lips, and pulled away quickly. "I need to talk to you really quick, all right?" he whispered with a fake air of sweetness. "I'll bring her right back. I promise." he lied to her friends.

Inuyasha stared after them, his eyes wide.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Sango whispered. "Are you jealous of Kouga?" she teased.

"No!" he snapped at her. "Kagome is...Kagome is afraid of him..." he realized.

"Of Kouga?" Sango nearly laughed. "He's one of the sweetest guys at school!" Miroku cleared his throat as Sango said this, but she shrugged it off. "Besides, he said they would be right back. Didn't you hear him?"

"Yeah, I heard him, all right..." Inuyasha nodded. "But I'm starting to think he's nothing but a big damn liar..."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** All righty then! So there's the first chapter of this one for you! Hoped you all liked it. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thanks for the feedback thus far on this story! I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying it! Here's the second chapter. Please let me know what you think! Keep the reviews coming!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Two: Something Much Worse_

"Kouga...Kouga let go of my arm!" Kagome yelped. "You're hurting me!"

Kouga ignored her pleas. He only tightened his grip and continued to pull her toward his car.

"What are you doing, Kouga?" Kagome worried. "Where are we going? You told everyone..."

"I lied." he smirked, opening his car door and sitting her down. "But there was one thing I wasn't lying about...and apparently, you can't take me very seriously. I warned you that I didn't want you to hang around dog-shit anymore, didn't I? You are _my woman_, Kagome. Not his..."

"Kouga, he's my _friend. _I swear it's nothing more than that. He doesn't want to steal me or anything..." Kagome whispered.

Kouga nodded. "I will make sure he won't!" he said decisively.

"Don't do anything to him, Kouga!" Kagome paled.

Kouga shook his head. "I'm not going to do anything to him, Kagome. Tilt your head to the side." he instructed.

Kagome blinked. "No, Kouga. Why would you want me to do that?"

"Do it!" he commanded.

Kagome slowly complied. "Kouga...what are you...?" she stammered.

Kouga leaned forward, baring his fangs slightly. Kagome yelped in surprise as Kouga bit down on her neck. She suddenly felt as if she was going to be sick. Where he had bitten her, her flesh felt as though it was on fire. She shoved Kouga away, screaming.

"What did you do?" she cried.

Kouga smiled. "I've marked you. Now no one else...no man, anyway, can have you. Tell _that_ to dog-shit. He knows our laws. He knows what it means."

"But I don't want..." Kagome began to cry.

"Stop it. I'm taking you home. I don't want you running your mouth to your demon slayer buddy just yet. Inuyasha and I are going to have a bit of a chat." Kouga told her.

"Kouga, please, leave him alone..." Kagome pleaded.

>>>>>>

"Where the hell is wolf boy at? He said he was bringing Kagome right back. They've been gone for too long, and I didn't like it when they left anyway. I'm telling you, Kagome is _scared_ of Kouga."

"And I still say I think you've hit your head one too many times," Sango smirked.

Miroku frowned. "I don't know, Sango. I think I would have to agree with Inuyasha this time, actually. Something about this whole situation just does not add up right for me." He told her. "I think it would be good of us to ask Kagome about it once she returns."

Inuyasha nodded in determination. He was going to get to the bottom of this. Surely Kagome, his best friend on this earth, would not hide it from him if she was indeed in danger, right? He would be the first to ask her about it once she got back.

...but Kagome didn't return during lunch. And Inuyasha didn't see her in their art class together, either.

At the end of the day, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inuyasha met in the parking lot.

"Did you ask her, Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned him.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't think she ever even came back from lunch today. She wasn't in art class. Guys, I think I'm really starting to get worried about her. Where do you think she would be?" Inuyasha looked around.

Near the edge of the parking lot, Kouga was smirking at him with an air of satisfaction in his eyes. Kagome was still nowhere in sight. Inuyasha growled from somewhere deep within his throat.

"Kouga, you son of a bitch! Where is Kagome? Don't try to pretend that you don't know, either, because..." Inuyasha stopped when he caught Kouga's scent. Something about it was different.

Kouga laughed and approached him. "Finally caught on, did you dog-breath? Don't even think about going near Kagome _now_. You know what could happen to her if she is caught with another male, don't you? Has your hot-headed half-brother explained the process to you yet, or did he plan on just letting you learn on your own? Well, here's a crash course—stay the hell away from Kagome, got that?"

Inuyasha blinked in confusion as Kouga walked away. "What...the hell...just happened?"

"As a general recap, Kouga just walked up to you and threatened Kagome if you ever went near her again...thus proving that for once, you were actually right about something," Miroku joked, and Sango bashed him upside his head.

"Inuyasha, this is serious. You need to go home right now and talk to Sesshoumaru about what Kouga has just told you. Shippo...you go with him. Since you are full demon I don't want to risk getting Kagome into some trouble. Inuyasha, talk to Sesshoumaru. Make him explain things to you. But once he has, do _not_ come to Kagome's house..." Sango instructed him.

Inuyasha was even more confused. "What? Talk to Sesshoumaru? Why would he care? And what are you talking about? I have to go see Kagome! You heard that bastard, didn't you? What if he hurt her?"

Sango shook her head. "Miroku and I will go check up on Kagome. It is safer for us to go since we are human and Kouga already knows that Miroku does not want to steal Kagome from him. You and Shippo have to stay away from her until I've figured this out. And I mean that. If you need to talk to me, call my cell phone. If you need to talk to Kagome, call her house, but do not come to her house..."

"Why?" Inuyasha asked again.

Sango frowned. "You will understand in a little bit...if this is really what I think it is. But...I just...I hope it isn't that bad..."

"That bad?" Inuyasha repeated.

Shippo grabbed his arm. "Let's go, Inuyasha." he groaned. "You're never going to figure this out unless you go home and talk to Sesshoumaru first, remember?" Shippo glanced with worry back at Sango and Miroku as he ushered Inuyasha into his car. He thought he had an idea why Sango would want to heed Kouga's warning, but he was hoping that all of the stories his real father had once told him were not true, for Kagome's sake. For his own sake, he wasn't about to mention his suspicions to Inuyasha, either.

>>>>>>

Sango pulled her small maroon car to a jolting stop in front of the Higurashi shrine. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Sango and Miroku bolted up the stairs nonetheless. Kagome's mother Yoshiko came to the door.

"Are you here to visit Kagome?" she smiled. "That's nice of you. Kouga called and told me that she had gotten sick at school. He even drove her home. Isn't that sweet? She's upstairs right now if you want to talk to her..." Yoshiko pointed.

Sango and Miroku nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Higurashi." they chorused before racing up the stairs.

Kagome was curled up in a fetal position under her covers, apparently sleeping when Sango and Miroku came into the room.

"Kagome?" Sango whispered. "Are you awake?"

"I've been awake, Sango. It's just been a little more convenient for me to pretend that I'm asleep, and that today didn't happen..." Kagome smirked coldly.

"What happened today, Kagome?" Sango asked her.

Kagome sat up suddenly, glaring at her friend. "I don't even know, Sango!" she snapped. "He dragged me out to the car, and he bit me, and it made me feel...sick. He told me...he told me that I can't hang out with Inuyasha anymore. That he knew the rules, or something like that, and something bad would happen if he found out that I had been around Inuyasha..."

Sango gasped, shaking her head. "You let him bite you, Kagome?" she frowned.

Kagome shook her head. "I didn't _let_ him do anything!" she cried. "I don't understand. What does it mean?"

Sango took a seat on the bed next to Kagome, and put her arm around her. "Kagome...I need you to stay calm while I tell you this, all right?"

Kagome stiffened. "What is it, Sango?"

"Kouga has...marked you." she said simply. "That means that Kouga was right. Inuyasha can't come around you if you are marked by another male demon. It's a stipulation of demon law. It's awful, but it is certainly true. If the scent of a male other than himself is on you, Kouga has the right to...well, let's just say that he can hurt you..."

Kagome's eyes widened, and her skin paled. "No!" she yelped. "I didn't want this! Why would he do this? I...Miroku! Get away..."

Sango shook her head. "Miroku is fine. He's human, and the prominent scent on him, other than his own, is mine. Kouga knows that he isn't interested. But Inuyasha...Inuyasha just went to talk to Sesshoumaru about..." She stopped as her cell phone rang.

It was Inuyasha.

"Sango? Why didn't you tell me, huh? I'll kill that son of a bitch! I'll wring his damn neck for what he did to Kagome! Is she all right? She had better be all right! She didn't _let_ him do it, did she?" he demanded in anger.

Sango sighed. "Calm down, Inuyasha. Take a deep breath. Kagome is fine. She didn't consent to anything, but she is fine. He hasn't hurt her yet...but you have to stay away until we figure this out..."

"Screw this!" Inuyasha growled, hanging up the phone.

Seconds later, the phone rang at Kagome's house, and she answered it. "Hello?"

"Are you all right? Why did that bastard do that to you? I'm going to figure this out, Kagome. I swear it. He isn't going to get away with this, and he isn't going to hurt you. I promise. I'm...I'm sorry he did that to you..."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered. "I'm...I'm all right. Calm down. It isn't your fault, all right?"

"It's not yours, either..." Inuyasha replied quickly.

"I don't know, Inuyasha..." Kagome sighed. "Maybe if I had just listened to him..."

"No, Kagome. Maybe nothing. _It isn't your fault_. He's an over-possessive asshole, and now he thinks he'll be able to do what he wants just because he marked you. If he hits you Kags, I swear I'll kill him myself!"

Kagome suddenly quieted. She didn't want to tell Inuyasha that Kouga's hitting her would not be a new thing to her. She didn't want to make him any more upset about the situation than he already was.

"Kagome, why are you so quiet? Has that bastard already hit you before?" Inuyasha paused. "Why wouldn't you tell us something like this?"

She shook her head. "Inuyasha...I couldn't. I didn't want you to get involved. I was afraid that you might end up getting hurt from all of this..."

"No, Kags. The only one getting hurt out of all of this, _really_ hurt, is you. If he touches you ever again, I swear..." Inuyasha's voice faded out. He sighed. "I will figure this out, Kagome. I'm on my way to my brother's office right now. He wasn't home, but when I called him and told him what happened, he told me to come in to his office immediately. He'll help me. We're going to get you out of this stupid mess, and away from that idiot Kouga..."

She nodded, although he could not see her do it. "All right, Inuyasha." she whispered. "And...thank you." With that, she hung up the phone.

Sango sighed with relief. "I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before, Kagome..." she admitted. "If he didn't know about what Kouga might do to _you_, he may have already tried to break his neck..."

Kagome shivered. "I didn't want you guys to get stuck in the middle of this. Especially Inuyasha..." she frowned.

Miroku's eyes widened. "Kagome!" he gasped. "Do you like Inuyasha? That's why Kouga did it! He must know somehow that you were no longer interested in him..."

Sango nodded in a matter-of-fact manner. "Actually, he can tell that just from your scent."

"Great..." Kagome smirked. "If he already knows I'm in love with Inuyasha, that must mean I'm really in for it..."

Sango paled. "Kagome...you said 'love'. You love Inuyasha?"

Kagome put her finger to her lips. "Be quiet, Sango!"

"You have to admit, it is very interesting..." Miroku agreed. "Maybe something can be done about this whole mess after all?" A smile spread across his face, and he grabbed Sango's hand. "Come on, dear Sango! We have a meeting to crash downtown!"

Sango blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"We are going to go have a chat with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Kagome...stay here. We'll have Sango call you later if we are able to figure something out..." he promised, dragging Sango out her bedroom door.

"What _was_ he talking about?" Kagome asked no one in particular once the two of them had left. She frowned. "Whatever it is, I hope it works."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** I had to leave it there. Good news? I'm updating this one twice today, and _Complicated_ once, so that each of these stories has three chapters! After today, though, it will be a week or so before I can update, because I will be hosting a German exchnage student in my home for about a week and some change. It'll be so much fun! LoL. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's chapter three! Yay for me, right? LoL. No, just joking! Please review and let me know what you think!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Three: Down Hill_

Kagome groaned, tossing her alarm clock at the wall. She didn't want to go to school. Well, no one usually _wants_ to go to school, but this was especially true for her. It would be her first day back at school since Kouga had bitten her two days ago. She had stayed out an extra day claiming that she was still sick, and luckily her mother bought the bogus story.

Her phone rang. "What?" she snapped in a whiny sort of voice.

"I'll see you at school today, Kags..." It was Kouga.

Kagome did not reply. She merely hung up the phone, grabbed her bag, and walked out the front door. Unfortunately, Kouga was already outside waiting for her when she got there.

"You didn't think I would let you make that long journey all by yourself, did you?" he smirked. "Now...why did you have to go and hang up on me like that?"

"I don't want a ride from you, Kouga. I don't want anything from you." Kagome practically snarled. "I can walk to school perfectly fine on my own."

Kouga shook his head. "Well, you aren't going to."

"What are you going to do, Kouga? _Stop_ me in front of my family and anyone else? I don't think anyone would like you too much if they knew the real you. Why don't you go ahead? Then everyone can see what you are really like."

Kouga looked as if he had been slapped, but he recovered from the shock of her words quickly. "You have no right to say that to..."

"You're the one who doesn't have any right," Kagome hissed in a low, dangerous voice.

Seconds later, Sango pulled up, throwing open her car door as she did so. "Need a ride?" she smiled at Kagome. She glared daggers at Kouga as Kagome quickly jumped into the car.

"Thanks." Kagome whispered.

"Don't mention it. Besides, I have news. I think it's even good news...but I guess that depends on how you look at it," she added as an afterthought.

Kagome blinked. "What do you mean?"

Sango turned a corner, actually driving farther from the school, rather than to it.

Kagome stared. "What are you doing? School is the other way, Sango..."

"You can't tell me you actually want to go to school. You realize that you would have to see Kouga there, right?" Sango reminded her, and Kagome quieted. "You're going to need some time to hear all of this anyway. So just sit back, relax, listen, and enjoy the scenic, more interesting route to school..."

>>>>>>

_"I just don't get how he is allowed to just do that to her!" Inuyasha yelled at his elder brother. "From what you just said..."_

_"Technically, he isn't..." Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Well, he is, but it is only binding if..." _

_"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelped, jogging into the room and dragging a flustered looking Sango with him. "Inuyasha, we have news! And from what my dear Sango tells me, this is really good!" _

_Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "Sango, I think that you maybe hit him one too many times on the head. How about you aim lower next time, huh?" Inuyasha smirked. _

_"Actually, he hasn't gone crazy or anything." Sango defended him. _

_Sesshoumaru suddenly looked more interested. "How do you mean?" he asked her, his expression not changing. _

_"I mean we just got back from Kagome's house..." Sango began. _

_Inuyasha huffed in irritation. He wished he was allowed to go visit Kagome, but no..._

_Sango glared at him, and continued her story. "Anyway, listen. I don't think that Kouga's mark is as binding as he seems to think it is. Kagome was unwilling to be marked by him in the first place. We know that much. So technically, the mark will not stick, because it isn't supposed to be there. From what I know, Kagome has to find someone else to remove the mark..." _

_"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked. _

_"That's what I was about to say before you burst in here as you did." Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement. "In order for Kouga's mark to be removed, Kagome has to find someone else to remove the mark...someone whom she is willing to be marked by. In essence, someone she really loves, and not someone she is forced to love. The new mark from the one she loves may release her from Kouga's hold..." _

_"May release her?" Inuyasha repeated with a skepticism in his voice. _

_Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes...well, this kind of thing doesn't happen very often, so cases like this are very rare, actually..." _

_"So what do we do?" Inuyasha asked. _

_Miroku shook his head. "We do nothing. You do something." _

_"Me?" Inuyasha looked confused. _

_"How do you feel about Kagome, Inuyasha? How do you really feel? Because Miroku and I realized something while we were at Kagome's house, and if we are right, then maybe you can help Kagome..." _

_"What is it?" _

_Sango took a deep breath. "Kouga warned Kagome to stay away from you. When she still didn't listen to that, that is when he marked her. He marked her because he knew that you would know to stay away from her once he did, and she would know that she wasn't allowed to be near you. It was like the ultimate punishment for disobeying him. Kouga must have sensed that there was something between the two of you, and so he did what he knew would keep the two of you apart..." _

_Inuyasha's eyes widened. "That son-of-a..." he began. _

_Miroku held up his hands. "Back up, Inuyasha. Stay on topic here. Kagome..." _

_Inuyasha paused. "Kagome...is my best friend in the world. I...I would tell her anything. I would do anything for her. I..." He gasped in realization. "I think I love her..." _

_Sango nodded with a smile. "We knew you did, dog-boy. We've known for quite a while." she whispered. "We also know that because of that, you might be able to help her..." _

_>>>>>>_

Kagome paled as Sango finished her story. "You _didn't_, Sango! You told him? What happens if Kouga finds out? If he finds out I'm toast!" She worried.

Sango sighed. "Don't worry, Kagome. We already warned Inuyasha. He's not going to say anything, all right? We still have to figure out how to manage this without getting you into some kind of trouble."

"Let me know when you figure that one out..."

"We already have. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Miroku, and Shippo are all waiting for us at Sesshoumaru's office. You and Inuyasha can meet there until we figure the rest of this out, all right? Sesshoumaru has given something to Inuyasha to mask his scent, so it should be all right to be around him for a little bit at a time." Sango told her.

"Really?" Kagome smiled.

Sango laughed. "Yes, really..."

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha!" Kagome grinned, running to him and wrapping him in a hug. "I am so glad to see you!" she smiled. "I've missed you so much, but Kouga..." her expression darkened. "What am I going to do?" Her eyes began to fill with tears.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Everything is going to be fine, Kagome. You'll see."

"I'm sure it's not that simple..." Kagome sighed. "And if Kouga figures out that I was here..." she paled.

"He won't touch you." Inuyasha replied sternly. "I would kill him with my bare hands..."

"But he...Inuyasha..." Kagome stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Inuyasha, I'm afraid of him. I'm scared of what he might do if he..."

"Kouga trampled all over demon law as if it didn't apply to him at all..." Sesshoumaru growled. "What he has done to you is unforgivable. After we have dealt with this, he himself will be swiftly dealt with. If any harm comes to you in the mean time, that will be one more thing he has to answer for...and his track record thus far is not exactly promising." Sesshoumaru reminded them. He looked at the clock. "You all had better hurry off," he said quickly. "We don't want him to suspect anything..."

"But what about...?" Kagome began.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "That can not be done so simply or quickly, Kagome. Placing a mark on you was not that hard...removing it for another is a totally different story. We know it can be done, but we are not sure if something could happen to you, and we have to be able to answer that question safely before we proceed."

Kagome nodded sadly. "All right. Come on, Sango..." Her voice had an air of defeat behind it.

"It'll be all right, Kags," Inuyasha promised her as she left. "We'll help you as soon as we know that it will be safe. I swear it."

Kagome nodded, slowly following Sango out of the building. Ginta scowled with satisfaction as he watched the girls leave the building. Kouga would certainly find this bit of information very interesting.

>>>>>>

"What?" Kouga snapped.

"Yes, and I believe Inuyasha was there." Ginta reported. "What are you going to do?"

Kouga frowned deeply. "She'll pay for disobeying me, Ginta. I'll make sure of it."

"But Kouga, he's her friend. I mean, I know you wanted me to keep tabs, but I don't really think that it is necessary to...hurt her." he worried.

Kouga shook his head. "Hurt her?" he smirked. "I could do something much worse than that...and I wouldn't even have to lift a hand against her..." He paused. "She'll think twice before she goes to him again. I'm sure of that."

"What do you mean? Inuyasha...?" Ginta asked uncertainly.

Kouga laughed. "Exactly."

>>>>>>

The phone rang. Kagome didn't want to answer it, but after the third ring, she knew that the only way it would stop would be for her to pick it up. She sighed deeply, yanking the phone off of it's hook and groaning, "Higurashi residence. This is Kagome..."

"Thought you could get away with it, did you? Well, Kags, I found out! You think I won't do something about it? Did you think I was just going to overlook it and let it continue?"

Kagome paled. "Kouga...I don't know what you're talking about. I just...I wasn't doing anything!" she swore to him. It was a lie, but she had to say something.

"Liar!" he accused her. "I know you went to meet him! Now you'll pay!"

"Kouga, don't! Please...I won't do it again...I promise..."

"I'm not going to do anything to you, Kagome. I was planning on keeping you around. But dog-shit? Well, he isn't going to be so lucky."

"No!" Kagome screamed. "Kouga, don't you dare! Don't touch him! Please..."

"It's him or you, Kagome...but I'm already on my way to your house to pick you up. You had better make a quick decision..."

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Sorry for the long time between updates, guys! When my foreign exchange student got here, I thought I had already put this chapter up, and I realized last night that I hadn't and went 'oops...'

So here it is, and updates for both of the new ones will be coming soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Just one note today aside from my thanks to those of you who sent me those wonderful reviews...please try and refrain from being rude to me in your reviews, all right guys? If you think it sucks, that's fine, but a reviewer called dtch posted a rather rude comment on my story. As I've said before, constructive criticism is great, liking my story is even better, if you think it sucks, that's fine too...but there is no reason to be vulgar or rude about it.

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Four: Tasukete_

_Coming to pick her up?_ The phrase ran through Kagome's brain a thousand times as she paced around her bedroom. She plopped down onto her bed and sighed deeply. She frowned. Inuyasha's human night was coming up very soon. If Kouga hurt him, he wouldn't be able to heal in time. Besides, she didn't want Kouga to hurt him..._her or Inuyasha_? Her shoulders fell. She knew what was going to happen.

Again the phone rang. Kagome jumped at the sound, and stared at it a moment. Finally, she answered it. "He...hello?" she stammered.

"Kagome?" It was Sango.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Hi, Sango. Have you guys...have you figured out...how we are going to...?"

Sango shook her head, although she knew her friend could not see the negative gesture. "No, Kagome. Sesshoumaru is trying to set that up..."

"Oh," she coughed. "I..."

"Kagome?" She now heard Inuyasha's voice.

She blinked, but Inuyasha was quick to explain. "I had to talk to you, Kagome. I had to know you were all right. And Sango had three-way. I know I just saw you, but..."

"I'm...I'm fine, Inuyasha..." she lied.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" he demanded, sensing the falsities in her voice.

"Nothing." She said, a little too quickly.

She gasped as she heard the front door of her home creak open. Kouga was standing in her doorway. Her eyes widened and she yelped into the phone. "I have to go! I...!"

"Kagome...I guess you've made your decision, then?" Kouga smirked.

Inuyasha's ear twitched, but he stayed silent.

"I won't let you hurt him, Kouga." Kagome's voice shook with her reply.

"I see..." he tapped his foot. "You realize, someone has to be punished for your disobedience..."

"I...I know..." Her hand shook. Inuyasha still listened on the line, but Sango remained quiet. "Kouga, please don't...in front of my brother...Souta is upstairs...I...I don't want him to get hurt..." her voice broke.

It was then that Kouga noticed the phone. "Who the hell were you talking to?" he demanded.

Kagome shook her head, hard. "Just Sango...I'll..hang up..."

"Kagome!" Sango managed to cough.

"I...gotta go. Kouga is here and he doesn't want me on the phone, Sango. I'm sorry...I...I'll be fine. I promise..."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sango gasped. "Kagome!" The only reply was the click of the receiver. Kagome had hung up the phone.

Kouga blinked. "What the hell was that, Kagome?"

"She called me, Kouga..." Kagome defended herself. "She's my friend..."

He growled. "After that stunt you pulled, you expect me to believe that? She's not your friend, Kagome! I am your friend!" He advanced toward her, grabbing her arm forcefully.

She yelped. "Kouga...please!" she pleaded. "My brother..."

"I don't care, Kagome!" he yelled, jerking her forward.

"Let go!" she screamed, tugging her arm away. "You have no right to touch me!"

He slapped her across the face hard, and she fell to the floor, holding her cheek. Tears stung in her eyes, but she was not about to let him see her cry. He laughed. "What did you think you were doing, Kagome? I own you now. You need to start remembering that."

"Not for long..." Kagome muttered low under her breath, but the wolf's sensitive hearing caught her comment.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing..." Kagome snapped.

"You're coming with me," he said, quickly jerking her up and dragging her out her front door.

Souta's eyes were wide. He had seen everything. He watched the wolf drag his sister out the front door. Racing down the stairs, he grabbed the phone off its hook and hit the redial button as fast as he could.

"Hello? Hello!" he screamed into the phone.

"Souta? Is that you?" It was Sango's voice he heard on the other end.

Souta gasped. "Kagome...she was...he came here! I saw him hit her! He just dragged her out of the house...she's going to get hurt..."

Sango did not need to ask who Souta was talking about. Her face paled. "Kagome..." she whispered. "Do you know where they were going?"

Souta shook his head. "No! I just heard him say that she had to come with him...he said he owned her. What does that mean?"

"Never mind, Souta. I...I have to go. Stay at your house, all right?" With that, there was a click, and Souta slowly placed the phone back on the hook.

>>>>>>

"Sesshoumaru! Come quick!" Sango breathed into the phone. "I think that Kagome is in trouble!"

Sesshoumaru heard Sango's words, but it took him a moment to process them. "Kagome is in danger?" He paused. Somehow, the wolf must have found out about Kagome's visit to his office. But then...if that was indeed the case...

"Oh, no..."

"Sesshoumaru?" Sango frowned impatiently. "Are you still there?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "We have to find her, quickly, Sango. And Inuyasha must not know about this until after we've found her. If you find her, bring her to my office. Remarking her could kill her if we aren't careful, but if Inuyasha doesn't do it soon, Kagome may be lost to us...We have to figure out something to help her..."

"Don't say that!" Sango scolded. "I'll find her, Sesshoumaru...I will..."

"Do so quickly." Sesshoumaru snapped.

>>>>>>

"Maybe this will teach you not to disobey me, Kagome!" Kouga raged. "You should have done as I told you! I told you to stay away from him! Why you wouldn't listen, I don't know...but defending him? Now that is the stupidest thing you could have done, stupid wench! Why would you do that when you knew better, huh? Huh?" he screamed, raising his hand to her again. "Answer me!"

"I can't..." Kagome whispered back. "I can't let you..."

"Answer me!"

"I...love...him..." Kagome spat.

"What!"

"I. Love. Him." Kagome repeated slowly. "I'm not going to let you hurt him..."

"You'll regret that..." Kouga promised her.

>>>>>>

Kagome blinked. Her head was throbbing, but she was getting so close. She was almost there...almost safe. She could see the building. Although her vision was blurred and distorted, she could tell the building was not far off. Just a few more steps, and she would be there...

She walked slowly through the doors, glancing at the secretary before collapsing onto the ground in a heap.

"Sesshoumaru!" the secretary screamed. "Hurry! There's a girl here! I think it's...I think it's Inuyasha's friend, Kagome!" she called. "Something's wrong, Sesshoumaru! She's in really bad shape!"

"What?" yelped Sesshoumaru, running into the entry hall and dropping to his knees. "Kagome!" he gasped. "Inoe, call Lady Kaede! Tell her Lord Sesshoumaru needs her to report to him immediately. Tell her to bring the jewel. We have got to get Kagome and Inuyasha out of here. She will know what I speak of."

The secretary nodded, and quickly began dialing numbers on her phone.

Sesshoumaru cradled Kagome's head in his lap while he dialed Sango's number on his cell phone. After a moment, she answered. "Sango...go pick up Inuyasha and Miroku and bring them both to my office. Kagome is here..."

"What do you mean, she is there?" Sango frowned.

"She wandered in here before she fell unconscious. She's hurt badly. Bring Inuyasha and Miroku. There is something important that we all must do."

"What are you talking about, Sesshoumaru?" Sango's voice was confused.

He sighed. "We are all going back. Everything will be revealed to you soon enough. Just make sure that you all get here. Got it?"

Kagome began to stir. She groaned. "Sesshoumaru..." she whispered. "Don't let him hurt Inuyasha..." she gasped. "I told him the truth...and he isn't happy about it..." She closed her eyes once more, and sighed deeply, slipping back into unconsciousness.

"You won't have to worry about that soon, Kagome..." he promised. "I'm going to make sure that we are all going to be safe."

>>>>>>

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what is so urgent that ye had to call me..." Lady Kaede did not finish her sentence, for when she laid her eyes upon the battered and bruised reincarnation of her elder sister that was unconscious in Sesshoumaru's lap, nothig more needed to be said. "That poor child..." she whispered. "I thought something was amiss the other day when she showed up for class hours early..." She cleared her throat. "Tell me how this happened."

Sesshoumaru sighed deeply. "Have you brought the jewel with you?"

After a moment, the old woman nodded.

Sesshoumaru continued. "The girl has been unwillingly marked by the wolf, Kouga. As you can see, he has taken a rather violent approach to their relationship. It is my suggestion that we take everyone back."

"Take them back?" the old woman gasped, her eyes widening in pure shock. "But what about...?" she began.

The demon lord cut her off. "We do not need them to forget everything. We already had to do that once after Kagome completed the jewel. In fact, that would ruin everything. Especially after Kagome and Inuyasha have admitted feelings for one another. But it would be safer for all of us, the girl in particular, to go back to the warring states era. You have the completed jewel, and without the shards in his legs, there is hope that Kouga will be unable to follow us down the bone-eater's well..." he explained. "I fear if we take our chances remaining here any longer, Kagome may become a victim of circumstance...We have to get everyone somewhere safe if Inuyasha is to free Kagome of her bind to Kouga..."

Lady Kaede shook her head. "When will the others be here?" she sighed in defeat.

Sesshoumaru paused to think a moment. He nodded. "Any minute now." he promised her.

"When they arrive, I will do what needs to be done," Kaede said under her breath, removing the glittering jewel of four souls from her pocket. "But I can not promise that this is the best of ideas. After all, the only way to really get rid of the jewel is to make a wish that is completely unselfish...and I don't think this qualifies..."

"With that, we will have to take our chances..." said Sesshoumaru, his voice becoming even more serious. "Because we can not allow this to continue anymore..."

>>>>>>

**A/N: **So there it is. The next chapter to this and to _Complicated _will be out soon, as I don't have to work tomorrow. Joy! Please review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **All right, so I lied about _Complicated._ The next chapter will not be out soon, as I have AP tests coming up, and that story does not seem to be doing so well anyway. My plan is to finish this one before finishing _Complicated_, since I have a bit more motivation to write this one. Sorry to those of you who actually read _Complicated_...it is not being erased or anything...merely postponed. Here is chapter five of this one! Hope you enjoy!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Five: Down the Rabbit Hole Once Again_

When Kagome woke, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all crowded around her. Behind them all sat Ms. Kaede, a teacher from Kagome's school. For the moment, Kagome ignored this.

"Inuyasha...you're safe..." she smiled, gritting her teeth in pain. He reached out to hug her, but she shook her head quickly. "Don't, Inuyasha. He knows how I feel now. He might..." her voice trailed off. "He might come after you..."

"He won't get the chance to..." Sesshoumaru interjected. "Lady Kaede is here to take us all back."

Kagome blinked. "Take us back...where?"

"Back down the rabbit hole. Ye will all be going back into the bone eater's well." Kaede answered.

Kagome frowned. "What are you talking about, Ms. Kaede? I don't understand."

"Take this, child. It will help ye to understand..." Kaede handed the jewel of four souls to Kagome.

Kagome stared at it a moment. "What is this? It's pretty, but I don't think it will help me under..." Kagome stopped, and grew quiet. As she held this, this _thing_ in her hand, she suddenly began to remember things. Things that didn't make any sense. She saw demons, a small village, Inuyasha...Sango...Miroku...Shippo...even Ms. Kaede. They all looked different...but it was indeed them that she saw.

She gasped. "What was...?"

"That was everything that really happened. How all of us managed to get here." Kaede explained. "Well, you're from here anyway..."

"And I came down the bone-eater's well...and met Inuyasha...and everyone..." Kagome remembered. "How could I have forgotten something like that?"

"When the jewel was completed, we did not want you to have to decide...so we came with you." Sango smiled. "And now, we're going to go back. Kouga doesn't have his jewel shards in this era...he gave them to you to help you complete the jewel in the feudal era...which means that he should not be able to get back there." She paused. "You must not remember because of the jewel...maybe it was some sort of side effect?"

Miroku nodded. "I think that may be true. But...I also think that we should try to not linger here for too long. We need to get back to Higurashi shrine as quickly as possible."

"I second that." Inuyasha agreed. "Come on, Kagome...I'll carry you."

Kirara, Sango's pet cat, meowed, and jumped down from her perch on Sango's shoulder. In a blaze of fire, the small and cute Kirara became a big, meaner-looking Kirara. Kagome's eyes widened at first, but she was not as surprised as she thought she would be by this change.

"We'll get there quicker this way." Sango explained, petting Kirara gently on the top of her head. "You know where to go, Kirara..." she whispered.

>>>>>>

They stood at the entrance to the well house on the Higurashi Shrine grounds.

Kagome shivered. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered. "I mean, I don't know if it's a good..." she stopped as Inuyasha hugged her close to him.

"You will be safe, Kagome. I promise. He won't touch you again." he swore to her.

The old woman Kaede sighed, clasping the jewel in her hand. Bringing the jewel back to the feudal era could mean dire consequences...but wishing on the jewel could mean even worse than that...

"It is now or never, everyone..." she gulped after a moment. She reached out, taking Inuyasha's hand, and the group linked themselves together in a circle. "Everyone must jump in at the same time..." Kaede instructed. "One...two..." she counted. In another second, they jumped, and the purple light of the bone-eater's well enveloped them all.

>>>>>>

Kagome took a deep breath. The area surrounding her was undeniably gorgeous. She felt almost instantly at home in this place. And surprisingly, for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was safe. She still did not understand how could she have forgotten this place? Or why?

"You had to forget..." Kaede explained, as though she could somehow read Kagome's private thoughts. "It was the jewel. We wouldn't have wanted you to remember all of this once you decided to leave, anyway...but the jewel made sure that you wouldn't. Midoriko must have been at work. The whole thing was so painful..."

"I don't think it compares to everything else..." Kagome whispered, inaudible to everyone except the demons in the group.

Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head. "I'm so sorry, Kagome. I wish I could have done something. I wanted to kill that mangy wolf for everything. But I couldn't, Kagome. I wasn't allowed to interfere, at first. When you completed the jewel and we all came back here, we ended up being friends anyway...but when you chose Kouga, I couldn't say anything about it. I had no idea he would treat you like that, Kagome..." he frowned, and paused for a moment. "But at least this way, you are safe from him...and with me."

Kagome's cheeks reddened. "Inuyasha, I..."

"There is no time for talk right now," Sesshoumaru snapped in a stern voice. "Have you forgotten where we are? We have to get out of the forest and back to the village. We can not risk an attack whilst half of us are unarmed."

Sango nodded in agreement. "Let's go..."

Kaede sighed. "The jewel...is back where it started..." she finally said.

"Back where it started?" Kagome repeated. "You mean...it's inside of me...?"

She frowned. "Can ye not see it?" she pointed. "I knew that there would be consequences for what we had done. This is most unfortunate..." she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else.

"We can't worry about that right now!" Sesshoumaru repeated. "We will get everyone to safety, and then we can discuss getting ourselves out of this huge mess we managed to jump into..."

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome's voice was soft and shallow.

He glanced at her. "What do you want?"

"Thank you." she smiled. "For all of your help." She stopped a moment. "How long has it really been...since we first completed the jewel?"

"It has been about two years, child. As long as ye can remember having known Kouga or any of the others..." Kaede answered.

"But I've known them for forever!" Kagome gasped.

Kaede shook her head. "No, child. Yet another effect of the jewel, I'd presume. Ye only think ye have known them that long. In reality, only two years have passed in this era..."

"But how can that be...?" Kagome wondered.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "If you have forgotten, the village is this way..." he pointed, his voice taking on a slightly annoyed tone. "Come on." he urged them.

>>>>>>

"Thank you all...so much..." Kagome whispered for the hundredth time that night. It felt so good to be back in the feudal era. Although she knew this wasn't really her home, she felt at home here...away from Kouga, and for the first time in a long time, she felt safe. Everything, for once, felt right in her life.

Sesshoumaru coughed. "Now that we are back, and you are all safe, there is something else that I must see to..."

"What?" asked Inuyasha.

"Something I had to leave behind..." Sesshoumaru replied quickly, and for a moment, the hanyou thought he could detect a hint of sadness in his half-brother's voice. He decided it was best to leave him alone, and focus on Kagome.

"Kagome..." he coughed.

She looked up at him, confusion etched in her features. Inuyasha winced when he saw her battered and bruised form. "What is it, Inuyasha?" she wondered.

"We need to talk." he said quickly, and he suddenly found the wall to the left of him to be very interesting. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he suggested. "I promise it's safe. Everything will be all right."

"I trust you, Inuyasha..."

>>>>>>

"I'm so sorry, Kagome..." Inuyasha admitted.

Kagome blinked. "Inuyasha...why? Why do you think you have anything to be sorry about? You helped me. You saved me from him, Inuyasha. You have nothing to apologize for at all..." She took a deep breath. "I was...scared. But...but now that I'm here, I feel like I am safe again..."

"Kagome, I...did you mean it?" He asked meekly, knowing that Kagome would understand what he was asking about. He couldn't help it; his heart was torn between his love for the woman standing in front of him, and his duty to the woman who died fifty years ago. He had to know if she felt the same way.

Kagome coughed lightly. "I...I meant it, Inuyasha. When I used to travel through this well, there would be days I knew I didn't want to go...or times after a battle when I thought it was too dangerous, and that I was in over my head...but I always had to come back. Because I wanted to see you..." Inuyasha's eyes widened, but Kagome wasn't done talking yet. "I know how you feel about Kikyou, Inuyasha...but I just couldn't help it back then. But then, in my time, there was Kouga...and he was always there, and seemed so sweet...I don't know how I could have fallen for it, knowing how I felt..."

Inuyasha paled. "Kagome...don't say things like that. Nothing that has happened is your fault. It's mine. I should have realized...I should have acknowledged everything I felt before I ever let you return to your time. I knew if you made that decision, I would have to follow you, because I couldn't just let you walk out of my life..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome choked back a sob. She felt her legs going weak as she fell to her knees. "What am I supposed to do now?"

He rushed to her side. "Don't cry, Kagome. I promise it will be all right. I can fix this...because I love you, too, Kagome..." he whispered.

>>>>>>

"Something still doesn't feel quite right..." Sango said, thinking out loud more than anything else.

Miroku placed his best 'I'm confused' look on his face, and glanced in her direction. "How so?" he asked. "After all, we're all here, together again, Kagome's safe, and Inuyasha has finally pulled his head out of his..."

Sango clapped her hand over Miroku's mouth and shooed Shippo from the room, glancing at the monk with a scowl as she did so.

"That's not what I'm talking about, monk." she snapped. "We came back down the well. Kouga no longer exists in this era, because he followed us to Kagome's era. Well, if he doesn't exist, then I don't understand why the mating mark he gave to Kagome didn't disappear once we crossed into this time period. I mean...I know Sesshoumaru was saying that Inuyasha would have to remove it...but why didn't it just disappear, if Kouga doesn't exist here?"

The old woman shook her head. "Sango...have ye forgotten your training as a demon slayer so quickly?" she frowned. "Don't you see? Every action has a consequence. We are back here, safe for now, but so is the jewel of four souls. Kagome is away from Kouga, but he bit her, so his mark remains. Did ye not learn this in your training? The mating mark is binding. This means that Kouga does still exist...because he is linked to Kagome..."

Sango's eyes widened in fear as though she had just realized something very important. "Lady Kaede..." she gasped. "Kouga will not be able to get through the well because of his ties to Kagome, will he? He'd have to have a piece of the jewel..."

"I know not." the old woman answered plainly.

"But what if...?" Miroku began, and Sango quickly ran from the hut.

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha...are you sure?" Kagome asked him. "What about Kikyou?"

Inuyasha's eyes darkened for a moment. "She died, Kagome. I'm sad, but if it hadn't happened, then I would have never met you, and we wouldn't be here now, would we?"

Kagome nodded. Inuyasha wrapped her in a hug.

"Thank you, Inuyasha..." she smiled. She leaned up to kiss him, but as their lips met, the mark on her shoulder sent a searing shock of pain through her body. She recoiled away from him as her knees once again became suddenly weak...this time, from the pain.

"What is it?" Inuyasha demanded, trying to hold her up.

"It...hurts..." Kagome gritted her teeth as the tears came to her eyes. "Everything hurts..."

"Stupid wench..."

Kagome paled when she heard the voice.

"You should have known better than to run off with that stupid mutt...Now, you're paying for it."

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Sorry for the long time between updates. I've had AP tests and a whole bunch of other boring but elongated stuff going on, so I have been working on finishing this chapter for quite a while. Hope you liked it! Please read and review and let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Here's chapter six! Hope you enjoy it!

Please review and let me know what you think!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Six: Shattered_

"Take your hands off of my woman, mutt..." Kouga growled dangerously. "Besides, all you're doing is hurting her, you know..."

Kagome could still feel the shock of pain echoing through her body as she struggled to stand back up. The mark on her neck had stopped throbbing, and she shakily got to her feet. "Kouga...stay away from me." she whispered, her voice timid.

"You can't hurt her anymore, Kouga. I don't know how you got here without the jewel shards, but you need to leave. She never wanted this from you. You've caused enough trouble..." Inuyasha added.

"You can not stay with him, Kagome. You realize that it would mean your death, don't you?" Kouga smirked at her, one of his fangs barely visible in his cocky smile. "You are mine; that is what that mark means. No one else can have you."

Kagome shook her head. "I am not." she replied. "I never wanted this, and I will not let you do this to me anymore..."

"I already did." Kouga laughed. "And you will come back with me. You have no choice. The only other alternative is death..."

Kagome gulped. _Was this true? _

She looked to Inuyasha, who's eyes were cast downward toward the ground. He sighed deeply. "Kagome...he's...he's not lying. If you refuse him...if I tried to remove the mark...you could die..."

Kagome paled considerably, but did not move. "I..." she stammered.

"Kagome!" Sango gasped, running in on the scene from the direction of the village. "Kouga! Are you all right, Kagome?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "I can't..." she whispered.

Sango looked confused. Inuyasha and Kouga merely stared.

"Kagome? Are you all right, Kagome? He hasn't hurt you, has he? Answer me, Kags...please..." Sango pleaded with her friend.

"I can't..." Kagome repeated.

Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head as he waited for her to finish her sentence.

"You can't what?" asked Sango, taking a step forward.

"Kagome, you're coming with me...now!" growled Kouga, taking a hold on her arm so tightly that it caused her to hiss out in pain. The mark on her neck burned with a new passion.

She jerked her arm away, tears stinging her eyes. "No!" she screamed. "I choose him! I can't go back with you. I won't go anywhere! I know what that means for me, but if it means that I get to stay here...with him...then it's all right..." her voice drifted off as she looked pleadingly into Inuyasha's eyes.

"But Kagome...you will..." he stammered.

Kagome nodded. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, leaning up to kiss him lightly on the cheek, and once more causing a searing pain to rip through her entire body.

Kouga growled deep within his throat and looked away in disgust.

Inuyasha stood in front of Kagome, as if to shield her from him. "I will not let you hurt her." he said, determination in his voice.

Kouga laughed, and Kagome, Inuyasha, and Sango all glared at him with alarm in their eyes. "You idiot!" he yelled. "I don't have to get near her to kill her. But with you standing there _protecting_ her or not, she will die for what she has done..." he vowed, taking his own clawed finger to his neck and dragging it across his mating mark, forming an 'x'. The wound looked small on Kouga's body. Only a small trickle of blood escaped the cut he had made.

Inuyasha looked on confused as Kouga ran off. Soon, he was snapped back into reality.

"Kagome!" Sango screamed at the top of her lungs, rushing over to her friend.

Inuyasha blinked several times. Finally, he understood what Sango had been shouting about. The smell of blood. A lot of blood...Kagome's. His heart fell into his stomach as he wheeled around to catch the girl he loved who was once again falling to her knees.

"Kagome!" he yelped. "What happened?"

Inuyasha looked her over. The wound was right across her heart, and was bleeding as profusely as though she had been hit square in her chest by an arrow. Her face, he noticed, was already pale, and her hands felt clammy in his own. On her neck, Kouga's mating mark had disappeared...but Inuyasha feared that it had cost her life.

"Kagome..." he whispered. "Hold on, all right? Sango!" he screamed. "Go get Kaede, quick! Tell the old bat that this is an emergency!"

Kagome shook her head. "No, Inuyasha..." she coughed. "Kaede can't help..."

"Yes she can, Kagome!" Inuyasha gasped. "She's a priestess! It's her job. You're going to be fine. You'll see. You'll be fine..."

"Liar..." she whispered. "He knew what would happen, Inuyasha...it couldn't be avoided..."

"Don't talk. You'll waste your energy..." he pleaded.

She shook her head once more. "Inuyasha..."

"Kagome...don't...please..." he stammered.

"I love you, Inuyasha..." Kagome smiled.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Don't talk like you're saying goodbye, damn it, Kagome! We went through so much to get where we are! I'll be damned if I am going to give up on you now! Stay awake, damn it!"

Kagome shook her head once more. "No, Inuyasha. I can't..." she took a deep breath. "I made my choice, remember? I chose you..."

"That stupid son-of-a..." Inuyasha growled. "I'll kill him for doing this to you, Kagome..." he swore.

Kagome, however, did not reply. Inuyasha's eyes went wide. "Kagome? Kagome! Wake up, stupid wench! Open your eyes! Breathe, damn it!" He shook her, but to no avail.

"You're pathetic..." Sesshoumaru smirked from behind him. "Does not demon blood run through your veins? Show some spine. The girl is dead. Soon the spirits will come for her soul..."

"Shut the hell up, Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha warned.

"...Unless..." the demon coughed, "you get out of the way..."

Inuyasha blinked. "Sesshoumaru?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. He could not see how his brother could get so bent out of shape over this simple human girl. However, he, Sesshoumaru, did find himself somewhat attached to the bouncy human girl Rin. In that respect, he understood his half-brother's desperation. Inuyasha had followed the same path that his father did when Inutaisho fell in love with the human woman Izayoi. Sesshoumaru hadn't understood it then...but the more time that he spent around Rin and this human girl Kagome, the more he realized what his father, and even Inuyasha, must have felt. He pulled out his father's healing sword, the legendary tenseiga, and took several steps forward.

"If you wish for me to try and save the girl, I will need you to get out of the way..." he said calmly. "You are blocking my path..."

"Let him try, Inuyasha..." whispered Sango, her eyes puffy with recent tears. "It's worth a shot if it will bring her back to us..."

Inuyasha nodded his agreement, and gently kissed the top of Kagome's forehead. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru..." he acknowledged.

The demon lord simply nodded, and swung his sword at the lifeless girl lying in front of him. He watched. The soul stealers surrounding the girl's body promptly disappeared...but still, the young priestess did not get up.

Inuyasha's ears once again flattened to his head. "What is the matter?" he asked his brother.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I don't know, Inuyasha. I shall try it again..." he promised, and swung the sword a second time. Still, nothing happened.

"Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha's voice was low.

He shook his head. "I am sorry, Inuyasha..." he whispered. "The tenseiga does not seem to be working. The girl still possesses her soul, but there is no life in her body..." he growled in defeat as he glared at the sword. "This accursed thing can not even do the job it was meant to do properly..." he snarled.

In that instance, Inuyasha's world seemed to shatter to pieces around him. Kagome wasn't coming back. She had died because of him. Because she loved him. Because she would rather suffer this fate than stay with Kouga. She loved him...

Her words rang through his ears like a worn out broken record. He could hear nothing else. He could think of nothing else. He could see nothing else...only her.

Sango's tears fell freely now as she held her friend's head in her lap. Sango stroked Kagome's hair, whispering things she knew that the girl could no longer hear. After a moment, Sango hugged her, and gently placed her head down before she stood up to leave.

"I have to go...tell the others..." she gasped in-between sobs. "Will you...will you stay with her please? Until I get back...?"

Inuyasha nodded. Of course he would stay with her. He wanted nothing more than to be with her right now. To see her smile, or to talk to her...even if she sat him into hell, he would give anything to hear her voice again...

"Why did you give up, Kagome?" he whispered to her. "Why didn't you hold on for a little bit longer, huh?" he was growing slightly angry at her unwillingness to survive when he heard perhaps the last voice he cared to hear at that moment.

"My lord, you need to bite the girl. Exchange your blood with her own..." It was Myoga. "It is similar to what Kouga did, yes...but it is also so much more than that..."

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "Myoga! You sick son-of-a..." he took a deep breath. "I'm not a damn vampire, Myoga. She's gone. I'm not going to do anything that could possibly make this any worse..."

Myoga shook his head. "But my lord...don't you understand? You have immortality. Kagome's soul is still fighting inside her body. Sesshoumaru said that himself. And while she may be dead, that simple fact alone holds some hope to it. If you were to give Kagome some of your blood, her strength, her vitality...it would all be greatly multiplied. She would be fine..."

Inuyasha blinked, processing all of this new information. "I can bring her back?" he whispered after a moment of silence.

The flea nodded. "Yes, master. It is possible. It would weaken you for a day or two, of course, but such a thing has been done before. By your own father, in fact."

At this, Inuyasha's eyes widened. "My father...?"

"Had to save your mother in such a fashion once, yes..." Myoga nodded. "He did not weaken in doing so...but he was much more powerful than yourself, of course...being that he was a full demon..."

Inuyasha thought this over some more. "Are you sure?" he asked the flea.

He nodded. "Yes, master. It will work."

Inuyasha nodded. "What do I do?" he questioned.

Myoga took a deep breath. "Just as I instructed, Lord Inuyasha. You need to bite the girl, and exchange your blood with her own. Kouga only bit her. He could not complete the process, because Kagome's body would have rejected him. Kagome loves you, not him. Just as your parents loved each other. They shared a special bond between them. The method worked on your mother once; I don't see why it would not work to save young Kagome..."

Inuyasha shook with worry. "But..."

"Do it, Inuyasha. Myoga would not lead you astray..." It was Sango. She had already returned with the others from her trip to the village. "At least try it. Something has to work."

After a moment, Inuyasha nodded. "All right..." he whispered, more to himself than to anyone. "I'll try it."

>>>>>>

**A/N: **All right, so this is the end to chapter six! Sorry for a cliff-hanger, but at least it's only a minor one. And even better news? Chapter seven will be up soon, and I have another idea brewing in my head for another story...details on that later.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Sorry for the long time between updates, guys! I know most of you were worried about Kagome. Anyway, the end of the school year is fast approaching, so I may be able to update a little more, although I can't promise anything. Here's chapter seven. I left a surprise for you guys at the end...but read the chapter first...don't just scroll down and see what happens, because that will ruin the effect.

Anyway, please read and review! Thanks for the support!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Seven: Wake Me Up_

"I...what if it doesn't work?" Inuyasha worried.

"You won't know until you try..." frowned Sango. "Please, Inuyasha. Don't be afraid. You can't hurt her..."

He nodded sadly. "I know that...I just don't know what I would do if she didn't wake back up..."

"Why don't we wait and see what happens before we come to any conclusions, moron..." It was his brother, Sesshoumaru.

Again, he nodded. His hands were shaking as he moved her hair out of his way. He looked up one more time, and saw his brother nod at him. _Please work..._He pleaded inside his mind. _Please. I need her back._ Slowly, he lowered himself, and bit down on her neck, biting down on his own tongue as he did so. The gesture stung somewhat, but it was the only way he could think of to do as they had told him to do.

After a moment, he pulled back.

"You did well." Sesshoumaru nodded. "All that is left to do now is wait."

Inuyasha blinked. "Wait?" He repeated. "How long is it supposed to take for her to wake up?" he demanded, swallowing hard, and subsequently tasting the copper of his own blood.

Myoga sighed. "It is by no means an immediate process, master." he answered. "It may take some time. Like we said before, this doesn't really happen that often, so it is hard to tell the outcome..."

"But she'll be all right?" he frowned.

After some thought, Sesshoumaru nodded. Looking down at the girl, he pointed. "She shall be fine. The color is starting to return to her cheeks."

Inuyasha nodded in reply. "Can you guys take care of her?" he asked them, his voice taking on a tone of complete seriousness. "There is something that I have to take care of..." he growled from somewhere low in his throat.

"Inuyasha, no..." Sesshoumaru snapped.

"I'll kill that bastard for what he did to Kagome..." Inuyasha threatened.

Sango shook her head. "Inuyasha...don't go. Stay here with Kagome until she wakes up. She's going to want you to be there for her when she finally wakes up."

"See?" Sesshoumaru approved. "Listen to the slayer. She is a voice of reason."

"...I'll find the bastard and kill him myself." Sango finished, whistling for her demon cat Kirara as she turned around.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "But you..."

"He killed my sister. Even if she is able to come back, that is inexcusable. I'll be back by tomorrow morning." she said in a resolute tone.

"Sango!" Miroku called.

She stopped. "What?"

"I'm coming with you." he said quickly.

"I'll stay here with Kagome." Shippo shivered slightly. He wanted revenge for this young woman whom he had considered his mother for so long, but he just wasn't old enough to go up against someone like Kouga and still come out all right afterwards.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Your entire pack is irrational." he whispered to Inuyasha. "Except maybe the kit..."

Inuyasha shook his head in disagreement. "No, we're not. We just protect our own is all." he said proudly. "If it was Rin, you know you would do the exact same thing."

"Rin..." Sesshoumaru whispered sadly.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha blinked. "What's wrong?"

"It is nothing concerning you, Inuyasha. You need not worry about my affairs, so I would suggest you..."

"Lord Sesshoumaru...?"

Sesshoumaru turned. Standing behind him was Rin. Now nearly fifteen years old, the girl had gotten much taller. They had left the feudal era when Rin was only twelve, and much shorter...but two years had passed since then. Sesshoumaru held back his look of surprise. She was wearing an outfit similar to his, except it was blue and purple, and carried a sword and a bow.

"The villagers told me you had..." he began, never once losing his composure.

She nodded. "I did. I didn't want to stay in that village without you. I went and found Totosai, the demon sword-maker. He has been training me since right after you left me in that village..."

Sesshoumaru nodded his understanding. "How did you know we were here?" he asked suspiciously, looking down at Inuyasha, and an unconscious, but much more alive Kagome.

Rin shrugged. "I didn't. I was looking for you..." she admitted.

Inuyasha looked up, his interest momentarily sparked. Tired from the day's events though, he did not stay interested for long, and instead redirected his attention to Kagome, and his seemingly failing energy. Soon, his eyelids felt heavy, and he felt himself falling unwillingly into a dreamless sleep.

"What happened?" asked Rin.

"Kagome died..." Shippo explained. "Kouga the wolf-demon killed her...but Inuyasha used his energy to bring her back. See the mark on her neck?" he pointed.

Rin visibly shook at Kouga's name. Even though she had been much smaller at the time, the memory of what some of Kouga's brethren had done to her still lingered in her memory. Sesshoumaru had, of course, saved her, but the memory still haunted her to this day.

"Are they all right?" asked Shippo.

Sesshoumaru nodded, sighing deeply. "They will be fine. Inuyasha will wake up before Kagome. Her body has many changes to go through yet, even if she is alive..."

"What do you mean?" asked Shippo.

Rin cleared her throat, and Sesshoumaru glanced at her in surprise. "Well, if Inuyasha bit her, that's a mark, right? And if Kagome is marked, then her body scent and everything else will change, won't it, and she'll end up stronger..."

"How do you know these things?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

"Totosai." she answered simply.

>>>>>>

When Inuyasha awoke, Kagome was still unconscious. Both of them had been relocated to Kaede's hut. He looked around and saw no one but Sesshoumaru and Rin in the room. He glanced at them with questions in his eyes before quickly turning his attention to Kagome.

He groaned. "I feel like I got my ass kicked...I don't understand why she isn't awake yet..."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "That feeling is natural after the energy leeching...and while I can't explain why the girl has yet to wake up, I would say that you should take some joy out of the fact that she is indeed alive."

Rin nodded in agreement with Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha sighed.

"I wish that there was some way to wake her up now that we know she can wake up..." he grumbled under his breath. "So sleepy..." he yawned suddenly, seeming to forget everything else as he fell back into a deep slumber.

_"Do you love her, Inuyasha?" He couldn't tell who's voice this was, but whoever it was, it sounded so familiar. _

_Inuyasha blinked. "Who? Kagome? Of course I love her! Who the hell are you to question me?" he demanded. _

_The voice echoed with laughter. "I'm someone from your past, if inquisitive minds must know...and I wanted to tell you about the future...a future that may not be as far off as you think..." _

_"What the hell are you talking about?" he growled. _

_"Kagome." The voice answered. _

_Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Nothing bad better happen to her or I swear, I'll rip you to little..." he threatened. _

_"Silly boy, I do not intend to cause harm to your mate. Why would I wish to do such a thing and cut my own bloodline short? I came to warn you about the changes in Kagome's body. She is becoming a hanyou as she sleeps. But...if you don't hurry, her priestess energies will cause her to accidentally purify herself while she sleeps. She has no control over such impulses while she is sleeping...therefore, she is in danger right now." he told Inuyasha. "You must wake her up."_

_Inuyasha blinked once more. "Your...bloodline? Father...?" Inuyasha called out. "Is that you?" _

_"Do not ask questions of me, Inuyasha. You must wake her up. Wake her up now!" he commanded. _

Inuyasha jumped up with a gasp. "Dad, I..."

"Dad?" Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose. "Inuyasha...if you have somehow forgotten, our father has been dead for quite some time. What are you mumbling about?"

"The dream..." Inuyasha answered. "Dad, he...Kagome!" he realized.

He grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook her slightly. "Wake up, Kagome! Come on...wake up. Please get up. You have to wake up!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

Inuyasha growled at him. "Dad said that her miko energy would try to purify her if she didn't wake up. She can't control it while she is sleeping!" Inuyasha explained. He returned his attention to Kagome. "Come on, Kags, open your eyes...why isn't this working?" he yelled at no one in particular.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I do not know, Inuyasha...but I must take my leave. There are several things that I must attend to. You know how to reach me should you run into any problems."

It was Inuyasha's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Did you just basically offer to help me?"

"Don't look into it."

Inuyasha turned back around as Rin followed Sesshoumaru out of the hut. _Come on, Kagome!_ He pleaded both internally and externally for her to wake up, to open her eyes...he had to wake her up before something bad happened.

Kagome took a deep breath, but still did not wake up.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha said in more of a whiny voice that anything.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. Before, when Kagome had Kouga's mark on her shoulder, it would burn if she kissed him, or alert her that Kouga was nearby. Would this work for him as well?

Taking a deep breath, he leaned down, brushing the hair out of her eyes as he kissed her lips. He held one of her hands in his own. "Kagome...I need you to wake up for me...please..." he whispered, his breath hot on her neck.

Kagome moaned in her sleep, and tightened her grip on Inuyasha's hand.

"Wake up, Kagome." The statement was starting to sound more like a command than anything else. "Wake up."

Kagome groaned again, and her eyelids began to flutter open. She gasped, taking a deep breath of the air around her before her eyes shot completely open.

"Inuyasha?" she breathed. "What...happened?"

Inuyasha frowned. "Yourself was trying to kill...erm...yourself, while you were sleeping." Inuyasha told her. "Remember? Demon and miko energy mixes are generally a big no-no on the big long list of demon no-nos."

Kagome blinked. "What did you just say?" She laughed and yawned at the same time. "I feel so tired..."

"Well, you've gone through a lot of changes, Kagome..." Inuyasha explained to her. "I'm just glad that you're safe...and that you didn't purify yourself..."

Kagome shivered. "Where is...he?" her voice shook slightly, and she glanced around the hut, as if to make sure that Kouga wasn't somewhere inside it.

Inuyasha frowned deeply. "He took off after he killed you. Miroku and Sango went looking for him shortly afterward..."

"They did?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "He tried to take you from us, Kagome. Sango and Miroku went looking for Kouga as soon as we made sure that you were going to be all right..."

Before Kagome knew it, she had tears spilling from her eyes. Inuyasha's eyes shot down to the floor. "Don't cry, please, Kagome...I..." he began, but stopped short when Kagome wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha..." she whispered, nuzzling his chest. "Thank you for saving me."

"Kagome, you don't have to..." Inuyasha paused. Something in the air had caught the attention of his extra-sensitive nose.

Kagome took a deep breath. "What is it?" she wondered out loud.

"Inuyasha..." Sesshoumaru yelped, running into the room and looking slightly shocked for once. "It's...you won't believe who's outside..."

Inuyasha was puzzled for a moment, until he caught the scent of the second person. His eyes widened in recognition, and he stood quickly, bringing Kagome up with him and approaching the door to the hut.

"But...how can...?" he wondered, more to himself than to anyone else.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome for a second time.

"Dad..." Inuyasha whispered. "And...my mom..." his breath caught in his throat.

_>>>>>>_

**A/N: **I know...yet another cliffie. But, on the next charming episode of _Unspoken_: Sango and Miroku continue to search for Kouga, and learn that they too, have some 'unspoken issues' to deal with. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru learn what has suddenly brought their father and Izayoi back from the dead, and Kagome, with her transformation finally complete, deals with the added struggle of the shikon jewel inside her body...

Stay tuned!

Please let me know what you think:D


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Sorry about the long time between updates, folks. I know I usually don't take that much time updating…but I just got a brand new laptop, and have spent the last couple days fiddling with it. Before that, I was at college orientation in Indiana, and had no internet access. Sorry about the wait, but here is chapter eight! Please read and review.

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Eight: So-Called Safety_

"But Inuyasha…how is that possible? I thought your parents were…" Kagome stopped short. Sure enough, standing there in the flesh were Izayoi and Inutaisho, Inuyasha's long-dead parents.

Her jaw dropped.

Inuyasha could only manage to stare for what seemed like a very long time. He stayed rooted to the spot, as did Sesshoumaru and Kagome, until Inutaisho chose to speak.

"Do you all plan on standing there and staring at us all day? It's rather discomforting, honestly…" he smirked.

Sesshoumaru growled protectively. "How do we even know that you are who you claim to be?" he demanded, stepping in front of Inuyasha and Kagome.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome glanced at him with shock in their eyes.

Inutaisho laughed. "Sesshoumaru, you are a dog demon. When has your sense of smell failed you?" he questioned. "You know my scent. Feel free to confirm it if you wish. I am certain Inuyasha can recognize the scent of his own mother as well…"

After a moment, Sesshoumaru relaxed somewhat. He sighed deeply. "How?" he demanded after a moments' silence. "How is it possible that the both of you have risen from the grave?"

Izayoi smiled, taking several steps forward and embracing Kagome in a tight hug. "Thank you, dear girl, for helping us…" she whispered.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Kagome?" he gasped. "How did Kagome do this?"

Inutaisho cleared his throat. "Kagome is the protector of the jewel. When you, your friends, and Kaede used it to get back here, the jewel did not go away, but rather went back to the place it was when this whole thing started." He pointed to Kagome. "The jewel is inside her. But going back in time and thus altering things has thrown old threats back into existence for this time period. Midoriko must have thought that you would need our help for this threat…whatever it is."

"Old threats?" Kagome repeated. "Why does that not sound good?"

"Keh…" Inuyasha grumbled. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it like we always do…"

"Inuyasha…" Shippo tugged at his pants leg.

Inuyasha looked down in annoyance. "What is it, runt?" he snapped.

"What if the old threat is not a 'what'? What if the old threat is a 'who'?" he asked.

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "What the hell are you talking about, Shippo?"

Kagome visibly paled. "Inuyasha…what if in bringing me back here, we unknowingly released Naraku into this world again as well?" she suggested.

The kit nodded. "That was what I was trying to say, Inuyasha!" he whined.

"I haven't sensed him anywhere…" Inuyasha shrugged.

Sesshoumaru frowned, laughing slightly. "You haven't left Kagome's side, you idiot. You're so intoxicated on her scent right now it would be hard for you to focus on anything else."

"Shut up." Inuyasha snarled.

"Who's this Naraku?" their father demanded, snapping the two boys quickly from their quarrel with one another.

Kagome shivered at the name. "He nearly killed us all the last time we went up against him. We got lucky. Naraku stole Inuyasha's sword, and when Inuyasha transformed…"

The look on Inutaisho's face became a troubled one. "You have transformed into a full youkai before?" he asked his son, who nodded slowly.

"I didn't mean to do it…it's just that certain things trigger it…" he told him. "It was a good thing last time, though. We might have been defeated…"

"How did you manage to come back?" his father asked, even more curious than before.

Inuyasha pointed. "Kagome." He whispered. "She is the only one who can always get through to me…"

"What about this Naraku? Does he know that about you? Does he know about Kagome?"

>>>>>>

"Sango…tell Kirara that we must turn back…" Miroku practically ordered her.

She blinked. "No. I told Inuyasha that I was going to find Kouga. That bastard is going to pay for what he did to Kagome, Miroku…and we haven't found him yet, so I'm not turning back."

"Sango, I…" Miroku began.

"No, Miroku!"

"Sango!" he snapped, grabbing onto her shoulders and forcing her to face him. "You don't understand! Can't you sense it? It's…it's an evil aura…very strong. Naraku…I think he is back…"

Sango huffed in anger. "Miroku, I don't believe…"

Miroku groaned. "Damn it, Sango! Make Kirara turn around! My hand…it burns. If the wind tunnel comes back, I don't want to hurt you!"

Sango gulped. "Miroku, are you…are you going to be all right?"

He sighed deeply. "Take us home, Sango. If we get close enough for Naraku to recognize us, my hand could turn against us, and I don't want that to happen. I care about you far too much to lose you to this curse…"

>>>>>>

"Obviously, the stupid half-wit hasn't realized we are all back as well, or he would have already came after Kagome by now…" Inuyasha mused.

"Inuyasha, Kagome!" Sango jumped from Kirara, who was still in flight, and landed gracefully on her feet.

Kagome gasped. "What is it, Sango?"

"Naraku…" she whispered. "He's back, and he's close by…"

Inuyasha frowned deeply. "I told you I hadn't sensed him!" he snapped to his brother. "Didn't you? Or were you just being a smart ass on pure principle?"

Inutaisho cleared his throat, once again forcing his sons' attention to him. "Exactly how bad is this Naraku character?" he asked them.

"Well, obviously he's worse now than he once was, or Midoriko would not have thought it necessary to bring you back." Sesshoumaru thought out loud. "I don't understand this. Kagome will be a hanyou soon. Inuyasha and I can fight well…even the demon slayer and the monk are good in combat. We beat him once…there has got to be more to this than that…"

Shippo sighed. "What about Kouga?" he asked.

Kagome paled. "Shippo, don't say his name, all right. As of now, he is just as bad as Naraku is in my book."

"If he crosses our path, we're taking him down. Is that understood?" Inuyasha growled to everyone.

Miroku came out of Kaede's hut with his prayer beads wrapped around his cursed hand. His head was down. "The wind tunnel is back again," he whispered. "It's starting."

Sango pat him lightly on the back. "It'll be all right, Miroku. We aren't going to let anything happen to you." She promised him, although the reappearance of the wind tunnel had her more worried than any of the other bad news they'd gotten that day.

Kagome took a deep breath. "I need to go home and talk to my mom and gramps about all of this." She announced. "They need to know what is going on, and what has happened." She grabbed her bow. "I'll be back in two days. Don't leave until I've returned…"

"I'm going with you." Inuyasha insisted.

"Inuyasha…I don't know if that's a good idea. You might be needed here…"

Inuyasha shook his head. "My father and my brother can handle any threats while we are gone…and you said it yourself. You'll only be gone for two days."

She sighed in defeat. "All right, Inuyasha."

She started to walk away, but turned before she reached the forest. "If he comes in search of the jewel…" she began.

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence the way I know you're about to finish it." Inuyasha chided her. "None of us can handle Naraku on our own, and he certainly doesn't need to know that you still have the jewel."

>>>>>>

"Mom! Gramps! Souta! I'm home!" Kagome called. She feared her family would remember nothing about her excursions in the feudal era, just as she had remembered nothing at first.

Her mother smiled as she entered the kitchen, wrapping Kagome and Inuyasha in a tight hug. "It's good to see the both of you home!" she laughed.

Kagome's eyebrow rose, but she grinned at her mother anyway.

She gasped. "Kagome…you have…fangs…" she realized.

"That's kind of what I came to talk to you about." Kagome whispered.

"What happened to you?"

Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head, but Kagome placed a reassuring hand in his, and began her story. "Kouga killed me when we went back down the well, mommy." Her mother paled, but she continued. "But Inuyasha…he saved me. He brought me back, because we…we love each other…and because he bit me, I am going to look like him…I think…"

Inuyasha nodded, as if to confirm what Kagome had said.

Kagome frowned. "But going back has brought Naraku back, mom. So I can't stay here. I have to go and help everyone get rid of him once and for all. I'm going to stay until tomorrow night, and then I don't know when I'll be back home."

Kagome's mother beamed. "I am so proud of you!" she smiled, again wrapping them in a hug. "I couldn't wait for this to finally happen, and now it has! Souta is going to be so happy!"

Again, Kagome's look changed to one of confusion, but Inuyasha laughed and she shrugged it off.

>>>>>>

"Do you think Kagome and Inuyasha are going to be safe in Kagome's time?" Shippo asked Sango.

Sango nodded. "Of course."

"Kagome's 'time'?" Inutaisho repeated. Izayoi too, looked very confused.

Sango blinked, remembering that Inuyasha's parents had been gone for some time, and probably had no clue about Kagome's ability to travel the future using the bone eater's well. She quickly explained.

"Oh…" Inuyasha's mother nodded. "So the girl is a rather remarkable miko, then?"

Again, Sango nodded. "She does quite well. Her and Inuyasha compliment one another, on and off the battlefield."

"Her strength may increase greatly now that she has demon blood in her veins," Inutaisho mused.

"That's what we're all hoping for," Sesshoumaru agreed.

"But what if the well is broken?" Shippo yelped.

Miroku frowned. "What would give you an idea like that?"

"Kouga came through it…what if others can use it? What if Kouga tells other demons how it works?"

"I think the only reason Kouga could come back to this time was because of the mark he placed on Kagome, Shippo. I don't think that means the well is broken. I'm sure Kagome and Inuyasha are perfectly safe right now."

>>>>>>

"Good night, Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered.

Kagome giggled. "You don't have to sleep on the floor, Inuyasha. There's room up here."

"I'm used to it." He insisted. "Plus, if you start to transform more during the night, I don't want to end up getting hurt…or purified, or anything like that. I think I'll stay here until your transformation is complete and you can control both your powers…"

Kagome planted a look of fake sadness on her face and 'Keh'd!' in typical Inuyasha fashion. Inuyasha allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he rolled over to go to sleep.

"Good night, Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha gasped in realization. "Be careful…while you sleep." He warned her.

Kagome nodded. "I know, Inuyasha. You told me, and Kaede told me. I'll be all right. I promise. I'll see you in the morning." She yawned.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered once more.

"Hmmm…?" she groaned sleepily.

"I…I love you, Kagome…" he sighed.

Kagome smiled in her sleep. "Love you, too…" she said between her yawning. "Always have…"

>>>>>>

"Kagome…" Someone was shaking her. She groaned in her sleep. "Kagome…wake up…" they said again. "I need to talk to you."

Kagome took a deep breath. She could tell who it was. Even without her extra-sensitive nose, she knew Inuyasha's scent as though it was the back of her very own hand. She smiled, turning over, and slowly opening up her eyes.

"Inuyasha…it's late. What are you doing up?" she frowned at him. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, smiling at her. "Of course not." He smirked, leaning in to kiss her lightly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, massaging it gently.

Kagome's eyebrow rose slightly. "What's gotten into you, Inuyasha?" she blushed.

He chuckled at her. "Nothing. You just looked so pretty while you were sleeping…" he whispered in her ear, and she gasped in surprise.

"Inuyasha…my grandfather…is right across the hall."

"I'm not going to do anything." He smiled at her. "Come on…" He grabbed her hand.

Kagome blinked. "Where are we going?" she demanded.

"Outside. To the sacred tree," he answered her quickly. "I'm more comfortable there," he insisted.

Kagome nodded. "All right. What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "You'll see…"

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha…what are you doing?" Kagome wondered.

Inuyasha frowned. "What's wrong, Kagome? Don't you trust me?" He tightened his grip on her.

Kagome tensed. "Inuyasha…let go…you're hurting me…" she warned him.

"Good night, bitch…" he snarled.

"Wha…?" Kagome's eyes widened, but she was soon knocked into darkness.

>>>>>>

"Kagome?" Inuyasha yawned. He blinked. Her scent was still strong, as though she was laying right above him on her bed, however, she was not there. "What the hell?" He frowned. "Kagome?" he stood, walking slowly from her room and down the stairs into her kitchen.

Kagome's mother was waiting there. She looked surprised. "Oh, Inuyasha!" she gasped. "I could have sworn you and Kagome went outside last night." She blushed. "I mean, I saw you leave from the window…but I didn't think you had come back in for the night…" she looked at the floor.

Inuyasha's ear twitched with his confusion. "What do you mean? We didn't go outside last night. I was sleeping on the floor, and I…." He stopped, fear gripping his heart. "You saw _me_ go outside with Kagome?" he asked.

Kagome's mother nodded. "Yes…unless there was someone else with the two of you last night?"

Inuyasha shook his head, the color draining from his face. "No…there wasn't…" He ran from the room, and straight into the well house across from the sacred tree.

>>>>>>

"Wake up, Kagome…" she heard for a second time.

She groaned, this time in pain, opening her eyes slightly. She nearly screamed, but he stopped her from doing so.

"Now, Kagome…we wouldn't want those meddlesome friends of yours to find you yet. Not until we are done with you…" Kouga smirked.

Kagome's eyes welled with tears, but she would not let him see her cry. She knew who Kouga must have been talking about, and she felt slightly sick at the thought.

"Where is…Naraku….?" She stammered.

>>>>>>

**A/N:** In true fashion of…myself :D, I had to put a cliffie here. Sorry, guys. I'll update soon. I have a doctors appointment on Friday, so I'll probably have an update on here by then. Please review and let me know what you think.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **I know. It was extremely butthead-ish of me to put that cliffie where I put it…so, to make up for that, I decided to post an update as soon as I could. So, for those of you that have been waiting for it, here is chapter nine!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Nine: Predicaments_

"Why are you so interested in Naraku?" Kouga asked, his eyebrow rising slightly.

Kagome huffed. "He tricked me," she growled. "If he hurt him, I swear, I'll…"

Kouga laughed. "_Him_? Are you talking about dog-shit?" he asked. "Well, I don't know if he plans to hurt _him_…but you, we have lots of plans for, my dear Kagome."

"Don't talk to me like that." She snapped at him.

Kouga whistled. "Well, well, it seems that dog-shit must've given you a little blood. That would be the only way to explain it…considering you are supposed to be dead." He growled, approaching her.

She tried to move, but quickly realized that her arms and legs were chained to the table she had been laying on. How she managed to overlook this detail initially was beyond her, but realizing it, her eyes widened.

"Get…the hell…away from me!" she screamed, earning her a hard slap in the face.

"Shut up!" He commanded. "You're not in any position to tell me what I will and will not do, Kagome! I was right about you. You wanted to be rid of me so you could run straight into the arms of that mutt, Inuyasha." He laughed an insane evil laugh Kagome had never heard from him before. She shivered as his head came down to within an inch of her own. "Well, Kagome, after we're done with you, Inuyasha will wish you had stayed dead. It might have been better for you, come to think of it. Oh well. Too late now…"

"Kouga…" Kagome whispered, fear in her voice. "What has happened to you? Why did you do what you did to me? Why are you doing this now? He won't reward you. He only wants more power…"

"Shut up!" Kouga screamed again, bringing his fist back as though he was about to hit her.

Kagome squinted her eyes shut, but the blow she was expecting never came.

Kouga was staring at her neck. "Hmm…that's interesting. So that was how he gave you his blood, huh? Through his mark. You let him mark you? I thought we already discussed this, Kagome? Mutt-face is not allowed to have you!"

Kagome glared. "Well too damn bad, Kouga. He already has." _Did that just come out of her mouth! She was surprised at herself. She never expected she would be so bold to her captor. Inuyasha and herself had done nothing…yet…but hopefully her little white lie did not throw Kouga over the edge. Kagome hoped he had been too busy staring at her to listen to what she had said. _

"What did you just say?" his voice got dangerously low.

Kagome gulped. She couldn't back down now that she knew he had been paying attention. "You heard me, Kouga." She whispered her reply.

He shook his head. "No. I would be able to tell. I would be able to smell it on you…"

Kagome smiled. "Not if my scent has already changed." She didn't know if this was the truth or not. She wasn't even a full hanyou yet, but hopefully it was enough to throw Kouga off.

Again, he shook his head. "I don't believe you." He growled, grabbing her by her hair and pulling her up to look him in the eyes.

She yelped at the pain in her head and body that was caused by his motion.

"Fine then, don't." she groaned as she gritted her teeth in pain. "But lay another hand on me, and he won't be very happy when he finds you…."

>>>>>>

"Inuyasha…what are you doing back? I didn't think that you would be back until tonight…" his mother asked in surprise.

"Have you seen Kagome?" he demanded, grabbing her by her shoulders.

Sesshoumaru coughed. "Calm down, you idiot…"

"Have any of you seen her?" he demanded of the group.

They all shook their heads.

Sango gulped. She was the first to realize what must have happened. Kagome was missing. "What…what happened, Inuyasha?" her voice quivered with worry.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I woke up and looked up to say good morning, and she wasn't in her bed. But her scent…it was so strong. It stayed that way all night…but when I went down the stairs, she wasn't there, either…and her mom told me she had seen us walking out to the sacred tree…together…"

"What's the crime in that?" frowned Miroku.

Inuyasha promptly hit him squarely over his head. "It wasn't me, you lecher!" he screamed. "He has her. That bastard Naraku must have tricked her into thinking he was me. I don't even know how he could have gotten through the damn well!"

Shippo paled. "I told you so!" he pointed his finger, and began to cry. "I told you it was broken! Everyone said they would be fine!"

Sango picked up the distraught young kit, and cradled him in her arms. "Inuyasha…if he was able to get into Kagome's room without alerting you, why wouldn't he have just killed you when he had the chance to do it?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know."

"He wants the girl." Sesshoumaru said simply. "He needs her for something…"

Inuyasha reddened. "If that son-of-a-bitch touches one hair on her head, I'll rip him into pieces!" he threatened.

Inutaisho took a deep breath. "Inuyasha, you must calm down. If this Naraku guy needs Kagome for something, he is likely to keep her alive…and if he knows that she means that much to you, then this whole thing could also be a trap." He paused a moment, letting the possibilities sink into Inuyasha's head. "Besides," he continued, "when she is in real pain, you will know it."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak.

His father cut him off. "Trust me. You will know."

"I don't want to know when she is in _real pain_, dad. I'd rather her not be in any pain at all, and if that bastard causes her any pain, I'm going to sharpen my claws on his face."

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "Have you forgotten, little brother?"

Inuyasha paused. "What are you talking about?"

"The mark, Inuyasha. Soon, Kagome will be a full hanyou…and when she is, she'll be stronger."

"But she'd still be no match for Naraku, especially if she was new to her power…" Miroku added, and Inuyasha growled.

"Shut up." He warned.

>>>>>>

"Kouga…" Naraku hissed. "Leave us alone for a minute." He demanded.

Kouga looked up in surprise, but nodded quickly. "Yes, Naraku." He turned.

Kagome paled. "What? Let me go!" Kagome demanded. "I'm not doing a damn thing for you, Naraku!"

He laughed. "Hmm…jumping straight to conclusions, aren't you?" he smiled down at her as she struggled. "Well, you're partly right. I'm going to offer you an exchange. You do something for me, and I do something for you…"

"I don't compromise with people like you…" Kagome spat.

Naraku coughed. "You won't have a choice, Kagome." He replied. "Either you tell me where the jewel is…"

Kagome interrupted him. "I don't know where it is, anyway." She snapped.

"…or Kouga gets to…_accompany_ you, and I will go kill your friends."

Again, Kagome tensed, her jaw dropping. "I don't know where it is!" she repeated. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

Naraku took a step back, as though he was offended by her words. "You would risk your life…and _theirs_…to protect a troublesome jewel that has only brought you and your friends pain?"

"It's my job." She growled. "I would never give the jewel to someone like you."

He growled from somewhere low in his throat. "Fine. Stupid wench. I warned you. Kouga!" he screamed.

Kagome shivered.

"Have fun." He smirked, promptly disappearing.

>>>>>>

"I don't feel anything yet," Inuyasha grumbled. "Well, nothing but fear…"

Inutaisho nodded. "Concentrate on that…see if you can isolate Kagome's feelings from your own. You should be able to do that now."

Inuyasha sighed deeply. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath as he tried to focus strictly on Kagome and throw his own fears to the side for a moment. After several minutes, he gasped.

"Is she all right?" Sango demanded of him. For that small moment, she stopped pacing the area to look Inuyasha in his eyes.

Inuyasha growled from somewhere low in his throat. "She's scared. So scared. I wish I knew what was happening, or where she was right now. She needs me…" he whispered, more to himself than to anyone around him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin yelped, jumping behind the man who had protected her when she was younger.

He looked up, and was shocked to see Naraku standing in the clearing.

He scoffed. "You're nothing but a demon puppet of the real Naraku." He said nonchalantly. "You are no match for all of us combined. Where is the girl?"

"You think you saw right through me, did you?" he laughed. "How are you so sure I'm not the real thing?"

"You have no scent. You're a copy. Now, where is the girl?" Sesshoumaru demanded, his eyes turning a threatening red color.

Again, he laughed. "I left her with a friend of mine. They're probably enjoying themselves right now. Kouga was so glad he would get to see Kagome again…"

Inuyasha growled loudly. "Kouga! You left her with that son-of-a-bitch!" He tried to run at the demon puppet, but his own father held him back.

"So, why are you here then?" his father demanded of the Naraku puppet.

He smiled, nodding to Inuyasha's father. "Whoever you are, you must be smarter than the rest." He commented. "I have a proposition for all of you. If you tell me where the jewel of four souls is hidden, I promise not to let the wolf kill Inuyasha's wench…"

Again, Inuyasha tried to run, but his father held him back.

"We won't do that." Sango glared at him, although her voice cracked slightly.

"Won't…or can't?" he demanded of her, and she looked down at the ground. "Are you telling me that you would not reveal the location of the jewel of four souls…even if it meant saving the priestess's life?"

Inuyasha gulped down the lump in his throat. "We refuse to do anything that helps you." He smirked. "But I'll find Kagome, and when I do, I'm tearing you and that mangy wolf into little pieces…" he threatened.

"Fine." He snapped. "I'll find the jewel on my own…even if it costs her life. You'll never find her in time anyway, Inuyasha…"

"Bastard!" Inuyasha screamed, jerking free of his father's hold and rushing at the demon puppet in front of him.

He ran straight at him, even as one of his tentacles shot straight towards his middle. It went through his stomach, and in seconds, he was unconscious. Naraku's demon puppet disappeared soon after, taking Inuyasha with him.

Miroku blinked. "What just happened?"

"Oh, my god!" Izayoi cried. "Inuyasha…he was…"

"He will be fine. He is much stronger than any of us think," Sesshoumaru promised them, and his father glanced up with surprise. "I think it was a very smart move, actually."

Miroku's eyes widened, both at Sesshoumaru's sticking up for his half brother, and at Sesshoumaru's calling anything Inuyahsa did 'smart'. He coughed. "How is getting oneself impaled by one's enemy considered smart in your book, Sesshoumaru?" he asked after a moment.

Sesshoumaru opened his mouth as though he was about to respond, but Sango beat him to it.

"There's more than one reason, I think," she said. "Firstly, the demon puppet belongs to Naraku…and wherever he is, Kagome is bound to be. Secondly, it will be a lot easier to find Kagome, Naraku, and Kouga now…"

"Why?" Miroku persisted.

"Because even though the demon puppet had no scent, and Naraku has already masked his and Kagome's, we should be able to follow Inuyasha's scent for some time before we lose it." Inutaisho answered. "Inuyasha's scent should eventually lead us straight to Naraku and the girl."

"Then we must hurry if we are to follow it," Sesshoumaru decided.

>>>>>>

"Kagome…aren't you going to cry? I know you want to. I can smell your fear…" Kouga whispered into her ear.

She shook her head. She was amazed that she was not unconscious yet, but she imagined that she was nearly done with her transformation into a hanyou. She still was not strong enough to free herself of her restraints, but that was not for lack of trying.

Kouga was approaching her with the blade again, and she closed her eyes in anticipation of the coming pain, but nothing happened. Then, she heard the door open. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Naraku. He was holding an unconscious Inuyasha, and dropped him rather unceremoniously on the floor as he entered.

He cleared his throat. "Well, Kagome…it seems as though you and your friends refuse to tell me where the jewel is hiding." He paused. "I thought you might find it interesting who my puppet caught in his web this morning…" He pointed to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered, jerking once more at her restraints, but to no avail. "He's still alive…" she smirked at him.

"I could fix that…"

"No!" Kagome screamed.

"Ka…gome?" Inuyasha groaned.

"Inuyasha…lay still. I'll…" Kagome stopped, screaming in pain as Kouga squeezed one of the wounds he had given her.

"We weren't done talking to you, Kagome." He growled.

Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes, but she tried her best to hold them back. "Don't…hurt him…" she whispered.

Naraku frowned. "Well, Kagome, I think you have yourself a problem here. You see, I don't think I can do anything for you when you refuse to do something for me…"

He took a step towards Inuyasha, who still lay in the floor near the door he had come in from.

"Don't…" Kagome pleaded. She closed her eyes tightly. _Inuyasha! _

Naraku laughed.

"Stop." Kagome commanded, her tone sounding defeated. "Let me up…I'll…I'll show you where the jewel is…just please…don't hurt him…"

Kouga shot her a look of pure surprise.

"You know its location…?" Naraku paused.

Kagome gulped. "I'll do it…I'll do anything…as long as you don't hurt Inuyasha or my friends anymore…"

>>>>>>

**A/N:** Will Sesshoumaru and the others find Naraku's hideout in time? Will Inuyasha be all right? Does Kagome _really_ plan on giving up the jewel to save him? And…the answer to the question on everyone's mind right now: Will Kouga get his comeuppance? The answers to these questions and more, in the next and final chapter of _Unspoken_!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Here's the final chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

>>>>>>

**Unspoken**  
_Chapter Ten: His Purpose_

"Kagome…" Inuyasha groaned. "Don't help him, Kagome. The jewel…it's your job…to protect it. I don't matter…none of us matter as much as that jewel…"

"To me you do!" Kagome snapped, tears welling up in her eyes. "You matter more than this jewel, or anything Kouga or Naraku could do to me, Inuyasha. I protected it; now I have to protect you…"

Naraku laughed. "I knew it! You've known where the jewel was hiding this entire time."

"Let me up, and I'll show you…" Kagome whispered, her voice quivering slightly.

"Kagome…no, damn it…"

"Shut up!" hissed Naraku, hitting the injured hanyou so hard that he hit the floor once more and did not move.

Kagome winced as though his pain was her own, gasping in surprise. "I said not to hurt him!" she yelped, her voice almost pleading. "If you're going to hurt him, then I'll just…"

"Show us where the jewel is, miko, and you might make it out of this room alive." He threatened her.

She gulped. "Well…" she whispered. "I am it. You see, there's nothing to show." She hoped he wouldn't see through her lie; that he wasn't smart enough to grasp what she was doing.

Naraku reddened. "What!" he screamed, advancing on her quickly. He had his hand around her throat in seconds. "What are you talking about, you stupid wench?"

Kagome coughed.

"She can't explain if you suffocate her to death." Kouga snapped.

Naraku released his hold on her slightly. "Explain." He demanded.

Kagome struggled for air. "Inuyasha…had to use…jewel…bring me back…" she gasped, out of breath. "The mark…didn't work…until after he used the jewel…"

At this explanation, Kouga's eyebrow rose in suspicion.

Kagome could only pray that the others would find them soon, and that Naraku and Kouga would not figure out her lie before then.

>>>>>>

"The scent ends here…" Sesshoumaru concluded. "This is where Naraku's barrier must start…"

"But I don't see a barrier…" Miroku blinked.

"That doesn't mean it isn't there…" Sesshoumaru reminded him. "It's the only real explanation for the sudden and complete loss of Inuyasha's scent."

Inutaisho nodded in agreement. "We need to hurry. Inuyasha is hurt badly…" he commented.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "If he is hurt badly, imagine the state that the priestess must be in right now." He said in a low whisper. "After all, it was she Naraku was after in the first place. Managing to snare Inuyasha was nothing more than the icing on Naraku's cake…"

Sango cleared her throat. "How are we supposed to get through the barrier?" she asked.

Miroku nodded. "True. Inuyasha has always been the one who does that sort of thing. His sword has the power to do it."

Sesshoumaru rubbed his head in thought, and turned to his father for guidance. His father could only shake his head. "I have the power to wield tesseiga, of course…" he sighed, "but the sword will do us no good here. It was in Inuyasha's possession…"

Sango's head hung. "How are we supposed to help them now?" she frowned.

"We will find a way to them. There is always a way." Inutaisho said quickly, his voice dripping with determination.

"I hope you're right…" Miroku mumbled, staring down at his cursed hand.

Sesshoumaru's head snapped to the side, and he glared at the disgruntled monk. "He is the Lord Inutaisho. He is always right. He always finds a way." He said defensively. "And we will find a way. You'll see…"

>>>>>>

Kagome opened her eyes. She wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious after the beating she'd received, but when she came to, she was in a room different than the one she'd fallen unconscious in, and Inuyasha was lying on the other side of it.

She groaned as she sat up. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Inuyasha, are you all right?"

She took a deep breath. While she had been unconscious, her transformation had finally completed itself. She marveled at the sudden feeling of new power she had…but she did not have time to dwell on things. She and Inuyasha were in trouble.

"Inuyasha…wake up, Inuyasha…" she whispered, shaking him slightly.

>>>>>>

"Wake up, Inuyasha…" Kouga smirked.

One of Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard the one voice that now made his blood boil even more than Naraku's. His eyes snapped open. "Kouga!" he growled, jerking forward. "You bastard! Where is Kagome?"

Kouga laughed. "Why, Inuyasha. I'm surprised you don't know. She is, after all, with you." He laughed. "Well, sort of…" He paused a moment as Inuyasha's face registered its confusion. "I'd imagine Naraku is probably killing her right now. Again. Pity, because you'd figure after the first time she died, you would have tried a little bit harder to save her, wouldn't you…?"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "If he touches Kagome, I swear I'll…"

"Inuyasha, you silly mutt, he's probably doing _much more_ than that." Kouga smiled. "After all, Kagome thinks that he is _you_, remember?"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. He was beginning to see red.

Kouga laughed some more. "And you are powerless to stop it! You're nothing but a worthless half-breed who got in the way one too many times, Inuyasha. Killing you is going to be such a pleasure to me…"

>>>>>>

"Kagome, I'm glad you're all right. I was worried about you. Where are we? We were moved…" he noticed.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, well they've probably regrouped to figure out what they are going to do with us. I doubt they want Sesshoumaru and your father and the others on their hands."

"No," Inuyasha mused. "I would think not."

Kagome laughed. "They think you used the jewel to bring me back, Inuyasha." She whispered.

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "They do?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't let them hurt you anymore, so I had to tell them something. You shouldn't have worried so much. You should have known I wouldn't just give the jewel away. I know you didn't want that. No one does. So Naraku thinks the jewel is gone. He's probably gone off somewhere to cry about it."

"Good thinking, Kagome…" Inuyasha grinned, wrapping her in a hug.

Kagome tried to stifle a giggle. "Well, I didn't totally lie to him, after all. The jewel may not have been used to bring me back to life, but it's still _in_ me. Kaede was right, though. This whole thing created far too much trouble…"

"It's all right, Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered, placing a feather-soft kiss on her lips. "We'll get out of here, and everything will be fine very soon…" he smiled.

"I was so worried about you…" Kagome admitted. "There was so much blood…" She looked him over, looking relieved.

He nodded. "I'm all right, sweetie…." He whispered, pulling her into a one-armed hug.

Kagome blinked. _Sweetie_? Her eyes widened in realization just as it happened, and she thrusted a clawed hand forward straight into Inuyasha's stomach as Inuyasha's clawed hand went through her side.

His eyes widened in shocked surprise.

Kagome coughed, tasting the copper of her own blood, as she jerked herself painfully away from him. "You had me fooled again, _Naraku_…" she gasped, shakily standing as he began to recover from her blow, "but Inuyasha _never_ calls me 'sweetie'…"

"It doesn't matter…" he coughed. "I have the jewel, and you will be dead soon…" He held up the bloody jewel of four souls.

Kagome could only smile. "So?" she smirked.

>>>>>>

Inuyasha gasped. He could feel it. Kagome was awake…and he felt a surge of power. Her power. Her transformation, wherever she was, must have been complete. And for some reason, her strength seemed to add to his.

"Kouga…" Inuyasha whispered dangerously, swinging his arm forward quickly and jerking it free.

"What the hell!" Kouga screamed, jumping out of the way just in time as Inuyasha pulled himself free. "How did you do that?"

"Explanations later, asshole. Now, you die…" Inuyasha growled.

>>>>>>

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Odd…the barrier is down…"

"Well, then, let's go!" Sango urged. "We don't have time to sit around and marvel at how the barrier just disappeared…."

"Kagome…" Miroku whispered.

"Huh?" Sango frowned.

"Kagome," he repeated. "Can't you feel it? It's such a strong power…so pure…it's like I can sense Kagome's aura from here."

"Her hanyou blood must have made her stronger…" Inutaisho concluded. "But if that is the case, then more than Naraku may be in trouble!" he rushed forward.

Miroku's mouth hung open in surprise. "Why did he take off so fast?"

"Inuyasha is in danger…" Sesshoumaru told him. "This must have been why our father and that woman Izayoi were summoned. Something huge is about to happen…"

Sango gasped. "You don't think…? Kagome's miko powers could not possibly have grown that strong…could they?"

"It seems that way…" Miroku nodded.

"I don't know why…" Sesshoumaru shook his head, "but sometimes the will to survive gives us power far beyond our normal strength…"

"That's good, isn't it?" Sango pressed.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "In Kagome's case, it could actually do more harm than good…"

>>>>>>

Kagome closed her eyes. She could feel the power surging through her body. She didn't need to be holding the jewel. She was going to finish this. Now.

"What are you doing?" Naraku demanded as he started to come towards her. He stopped short as she smiled.

"Purifying the jewel…" she said, her eyes still closed. "Say goodbye, Naraku…"

"Kagome…no!" Inutaisho yelped.

Kagome stopped suddenly. "Inu…taisho? But he…" Kagome began.

"Your power is too great right now. Without something to keep it in check, you may unintentionally purify the jewel, Naraku, yourself, Inuyasha, or any other demon or hanyou that happens to be close by…"

"But he has the jewel!" Kagome protested.

"I will not let you kill yourself for the sake of this jewel, Kagome! You have to survive! Don't you understand? You are like glue. You hold my son together; you hold your friends together. You are so important that they followed you into the future. That said, I can not let you jeopardize your future here. I will fight in your place." He said sternly.

Kagome blinked. "What? You can't do that!" she protested.

He nodded. "Yes I can. This is why I was brought back. I am not meant to be in this time with you and my sons. We all know this. I will do what I believe I was supposed to do: protect you and my family."

"No! You can't do…" Kagome began as the door burst open.

Inuyasha rushed in. "Kagome, are you…dad?" Inuyasha gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Protecting you." He snapped quickly. "And I will have no more argument about it."

"But you can't…" Kagome stammered, her voice shaking.

Inuyasha blinked, noticing something. "Kagome….you're hurt again!" he yelped. "What happened?"

"It's nothing." She said quickly.

"Take Kagome and get out of here quickly, son." Inutaisho ordered.

Inuyasha was silent a moment before he finally nodded. "Come on, Kagome…" he whispered, picking her up. She did not protest. She seemed to be stunned by Inuyasha's willingness to obey his father's demand.

"But Inuyasha…your father…" she frowned.

"He knows what he's doing…" Inuyasha whispered once more.

"Get her out of here," Inutaisho told him. "And then, Kagome, you are to do what you were about to do before I stopped you." He instructed her.

Kagome paled. "But you will be…"

"I said do it, Kagome!" he yelled. "I know you can. Now, go!"

>>>>>>

Sesshoumaru exhaled a deep breath as Inuyasha ran into the clearing with Kagome in his arms. He looked down at the ground. "Father chose to fight Naraku on his own?" he asked.

Inuyasha shook his head. "He chose to do more than that." He answered. "Kagome…" he sighed.

Kagome nodded as Inuyasha set her down, and she glanced over at Miroku. "Miroku, I want you to form a barrier around Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kirara."

"But, why…?"

"Just do it. There is something that I have to do…but they have to be safe first."

Miroku complied quickly.

"Kagome…what are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded, from his safe place inside Miroku's barrier.

A single tear slid down Kagome's cheek. "What he asked me to do…" she answered, closing her eyes and focusing her energy on the jewel.

"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked.

Sango placed a hand on her friend's shoulder as she used her energy to effectively seek out and purify the jewel, and everyone and everything around it.

"Father was willing to die for you twice, it seems, Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru said coldly. "Kagome is going to purify everything…"

"But dad is still…!"

"Inuyasha…our father is nothing but a diversion to keep Naraku's attention away from your mate long enough for her to purify everything in her path. I think he knew that the moment he ran that way to help you…"

Kagome could feel the power as it grew inside her. Still focusing on the jewel, she seemed to send it out in waves. After a few minutes, another tear slid down her cheek, and she began to lose her footing.

"What's happening?" demanded Inuyasha.

"What Kagome is doing requires a great deal of physical and spiritual energy, Inuyasha. She is starting to get tired."

Sango dropped to her knees to stay level with her friend as Kagome used up the last bit of energy she had to finish off Naraku, the jewel of four souls, and anything else that got in the way. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open, and she fell unconscious into Sango's arms.

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath of the air around him. He sighed. "There is not a demon, or even a trace of one, for miles…" he said. "It worked. Naraku is gone."

"So is dad…" Inuyasha whispered. "I didn't get to…to thank him, for doing that for us."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Inuyasha, you should know better than that…" he chastised his half brother. "You didn't need to thank father. He already knew. There was no reason to say a thing, because he already knew you were thankful for what he did…"

Inuyasha nodded. "Kagome…must have known…"

Miroku sighed with relief. Once again, his wind tunnel had disappeared. This time, he hoped it would be for good. He smiled. "It's finally over for real this time…" he whispered.

>>>>>>

**A/N:** I know, crappy ending, but I hope you all liked it! Please review and let me know what you think. There will probably not be a sequel to this one, but I do have a songfic miniseries coming out soon. :D


End file.
